Persona 4:The Answer
by Jadegang
Summary: Years later the group around Souji meets again at Tokyo's University,and everything's like it used to be back in Inaba:Boring school days, leveling up Social Links, solving a murder case... Wait, stop, rewind! What! Find out yourself in this fanfiction!
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1: At night when everyone´s asleep**_

Yosufu Bagman had heard many rumors in the 58 years he´d been alive. Especially because of his job - a teacher - this couldn´t be avoided when those brats traded the newest `top secrets´ like they called it - Oh, how he hated this new kind of language - on the campus and then released them on their MyPlaces and LiveJourmals-- Not that he´d ever been to a site like that; that was just below his standards!

Oh, how the youth had become more and more rotten as time went on! It was just because of that reason that he never intended to have children - not that he´d ever be able to have one since he didn´t have lover. Oh, which virtuous child of god would need this wretched, devilish female sex which was trying to seduce one all the time! Wasn´t the fact that Eva, this whore, had made Adam eat the forbidden apple proof enough how tainted this female riff-raff was!?

No! Something like that would never have the right to enter his house!

... Well, back to the topic at hand: As already mentioned, he had heard many rumors in life, one more pathetic than the other: "Elvis is alive!" "America and Bin Laden are working together!" "There´s a hidden hour, the 25th Dark Hour, per day!" "Our world is full of magic!" "Satan is our world´s saviour!" "If you turn on your TV and midnight on a rainy night, you will see your soul mate inside it!" "The year 2000 is the day the world will meet its end!"

Tch! Who where they trying to kid!? Humanity was so stupid, so barbaric, that he´d just like to throw up here and now!

The more astonished Mr. Bagman was when he was awoken one night by a loud roll of thunder and had nearly fallen out of his sleeping berth.

Still half asleep and with slightly watery eyes the old teacher looked around, the surroundings unfamiliar, until he realized that he´d fallen asleep on his rheumathism chair.

The thriller he´d been reading had fallen to the ground in his sleep. Yawning, he looked at the alarm clock which stood on the table next to him. It was midnight. Slightly dizzy he took the book and layed it on the table. Another roll of thunder made him look outside the window. Rain was falling against it without end.

Slowly, mindful of his rheumathism, Mr. Bagman stood up and sluggishly went through the room, his beedroom his destination, when suddenly a bright light made him close his eyes. Mr Bagman nearly had lost his balance, if he hadn´t been able to grab onto the table, and was now looking, his eyes still a little bit slitted, at the source of the light: The TV inside the room.

Startled, the old man looked around. Had he accidently dropped the book onto the remote control which had turned on the TV? He grumbled slightly and was just about to walk back to the table when an older, slightly harsh voice - which was very familiar to him - talked to him.

"Hello, Yosufu.", the voice said. Mr Bagman whirled around and looked to the balcony, afraid a burglar was trying to enter.

"Who´s there?", Mr. Bagman asked with his harsh voice.

"Oh, not there, me dear. Here.", the voice continued to speak. Again, Mr. Bagman whirled around and looked at the TV. His eyes went huge when he saw himself inside the TV, a graveyard in the background.

But, no, this couldn´t be! No, that wasn´t him! This person... This thing had bright yellow eyes, and a dark aura was shimmering around his body.

"Good evening, Yosufu, my dear.", the man inside the TV calmly spoke with Mr. Bagman´s voice, as if he was talking to an old friend he´d just visited the front door and not through a TV.

"Wh-who are you?!", Mr. Bagman asked. "Is this supposed to be joke of my students?! I-if so, then it r-really didn´t work!"

"Oh, no such thing.", Mr. Bagman´s dark counterpart chortled in mirth. "This is by no means a joke, my dear."

Mr. Bagman was staring at the figure inside the TV for a while longer, then suddenly his facial expressions became far more relaxed.

"Ah, I see.", he suddenly said. "This is just a dream. Of course! Things like magic and ghosts or whatever don´t exist in the real world!"

"Oooh, aren´t we feeling analytical today!", the dark counterpart grinned. "But I can assure you, my precious, that this is not a nightmare. No, this here is very real, you know."

"Wh-what´s all this supposed to be anyway! Even for a dream, this is far too ridiculous!", the old teacher protested.

"You were a very, veeery bad boy, Yosufu.", the dark figure continued, as if it hadn´t heard Mr. Bagman.

"Wh-what are you talking about?!", Mr. Bagman asked. "I ask you not to say such outraging things! I´m a peaceloving, honest citizen who´s following this nation´s law every da--"

"Oh, really?", the dark Mr. Bagman interrupted the teacher. "Yesss, how true! Yosufu Bagman, always concerned about following the bible and the laws. That´s how people know him to be. But do they know him, if he thinks nobody´s watching? Nooo, they don´t!" Mr. Bagman swallowed while the smile on his dark clone´s facer was getting more and more malicious. "I know what´s hidden in the depths of your computer! Tse! Tse! Tse! Pornography! Well, I never!" He shook his head in revolt.

"Silence!", Mr. Bagman snarled and hastily looked around the room, as if fearing that someone else was listening.

"And then there are such young beauties in those `movies´! I think the oldest of them is 12 years old."

"Shut up!", Mr. Bagman shouted hystericaly.

"Yes, you´re a baaad boy, Yosufu. A very bad boy indeed.", the dark Mr. Bagman continued.

"I... I..."

"You really have a beautiful garden, my dear.", his dark counterpart interrupted him. "So many beautiful flowers and hedges. I think they must be this pretty because of the nice manure!" Mr. Bagman gasped in horror. "Yesss, such a pretty manure! Sooo young, only 19 years old!"

"Si-silence...", Mr. Bagman panted.

"Oh, how nice it had been to force your will on her! To see her fearful face when you had attacked her!"

"Silence!", Mr. Bagman shouted.

"And those huge eyes when you had stabbed that knife into her heart, her blood adding a wonderful symphony to the masterpiece you had created that night!"

"SILENCE!!!", Mr. Bagman screeched and punched the TV with his fist. The screen crashed, Mr. Bagman´s hand was wounded, blood dripping down to the ground, the figure inside the TV had disappeared. Panting, Mr. Bagman stared at the TV.

Finally - after what had seemed an eternity - the old teacher sighed in relief and wanted to the leave the room to fetch the first-aid kit to treat his wounded hand.

"Oh, really! Does it always have to be violence!", a harsh voice spoke which made Mr. Bagman freeze in his step. Eyes huge, he stared behind himself and saw his dark counterpart which had appeared behind the destroyed screen again.

"No...", the old man whimpered.

"Yesss...", the dark counterpart sighed in bliss and extended his hand towards the screen.

"A-ah...", Mr. Bagman gasped, nearly having a heart attack, when the hand broke through the screen, followed by the rest of the dark clone´s body that had now left the TV.

"That really hurt, you know.", the dark Mr. Bagman said and looked at his right hand which was bleeding, just like Mr. Bagman´s hand. "But you love the pain. That´s what´s making you so horny about those `movies´ on your computer: Seeing the pain of those defenseless little boys and girls. Oh, and not to forget the pain of that 19 year old girld you raped; her pain had been quite exquisite!" Slowly, the dark counterpart walked towards Mr. Bagman who was walking backwards, his whole body shaking, until his back met the house´s walls, no escape in side. "And since I´m you, my dear Yosufu, I like to see someone in pain as well. And I think it would be most pleasurable to hear my own cries of pain tonight!!!"

Mr. Bagman didn´t stand a chance at all. One moment he had wetted his pants in fear, the next moment he lay on the floor, no trace of life left in his body.


	2. Chapter 2: Friends' SMS Messages

_**Chapter 2: Friends´ SMS Messages**_

Souji Seta was used to the unexpected in life and constant changes. Nearly every year he´d had to move to another city since his parents´ work demanded to do so.

This meant the constant loss of friends, a new school, new people, new faces, a new house... everything was completely new after a year. So it wasn´t really a shock to know that Souji had situated some kind of wall between him and the rest of the world of the course of all these years, protecting him from everything. He made many new friends and acquaintances during these one year stays, but he never let them inside his heart, never let them see the true Souji Seta.

Well, why would he? He would be leaving after one year anyway. Why should he learn to love other people, only to be crushed to bits once the time to say goodbye approached? No, Souji had never really wanted that.

But destiny would have it that everything had changed at once when his parents had told him one day that he´d have to live with his mother´s brother for one year in Inaba, that they´d have to work outside of Japan this time. This one year with his uncle Ryotaro Dojima and his daughter Nanako Dojima had changed everything for him. The friendships that he´d made there, the adventures he´d lived through in this little town, the emotions he´d felt that year, they were all carved into his heart and would never be forgotten. The day he´d had to leave the rural town Inaba had been the worst day in his life. In his mind hee could still clearly see his little cousin crying and his friends trying to smile while really feeling so sad. Just one world from them and he´d stayed there! To hell with his parents! It was really unbelievable how many connections and deeds he´d done in that one year compared to his life before...

-----------------------------------------------

29th of March, 2016:

Sighing, Souji Seta looked outside the train´s window he was in which was headed for Tokyo. The reflection he saw in it of himself which stared back at him was very different from his seventeen year old self that had been on a train to Inaba back then: He had grown at an extremely fast pace during those five years since his days in Inaba. His shoulders had become much broader, his hair darker but still retaining that silvery glimmer which all the men in his family had. If he´d been still seventeen and had to look at his 22 year old self, he´d say he looked like a younger version of his uncle Dojima. His mother´s genes must have been pretty strong. He had next to no resemblance to his father.

The scenery through which the train drove got more city-like, no more forest, which meant the train had nearly reached Tokyo. Soon he would see them all again...

Once again, like so many times during the ride, he took out his cell phone and checked the seven SMS messages he´d received:

-----------------------------------------------------

_1._

_Hey, Partner!_

_Ya all right? ;)_

_Hope you´re ready, dude! As soon as we´re there, it´s brawl time, just like back at Samegawa! :P_

_Can´t wait to see the old group together again! ... Well, I could do without Chie and here Galactic Punts though...  
_

_HEY BUT DON´T TELL HER I WROTE THAT, GOT IT!? :/_

_Yosuke_

_PS: Ted´s nearly pissing his bear costume in anticipation! -.-'_

-----------------------------------------------

_2._

_Yooooo, Souji!_

_Already oiled my feet and ready to kick some ass during a training session on the campus! *Raaaaaaawr*_

_Can´t wait!_

_Chie_

-------------------------------------------

_3._

_Hello, Souji-kun,_

_I´m really happy to see you and the others again. At first I´d feared I wouldn´t be able to come to Tokyo..._

_You know, our inn and everything... But in the end I could convince my mother to find some more employers after I had explained to her that it would be best for me to study gastronomy and the likes._

_See you this afternoon,_

_Yukiko_

---------------------------------------------

_4._

_Yo, Senpai! Whazzup?!_

_Man, I´m hyper! Have already made dozens of dolls during the ride because of that_

_Hope I´m there soon!_

_Kanji_

----------------------------------------------

_5._

_Ooooooh, Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeenpaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiii! 3 *squeal*_

_I´m soooo excited about seeing you again! BNRFK LE CE LRDÖ $RE§_

_FNI§$I$§K OLKGO_

_Ooooh, my fingers are shaking all over the buttons. *ROFLCOPTER*_

_Senpai... LOVEYOUSOOOMUCH!!! :3  
_

_Rise(tte) *^.^* ( Y ) ..... *hides in a corner* *blush*_

--------------------------------------------

_6._

_Dear Souji Seta,_

_I am really happy about seeing you and the rest of our friends again._

_So many years have passed since our time in Inaba and our paths have never crossed after that again._

_It is time to make up for all that lost time... Of course, always AFTER our studies are completed, not before that!_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Naoto Shirogane_

--------------------------------------------

_7. SENSEI!!!!!!!_

_I´M THE HAPPIEST BEAR ON THE WHOLE WORLD!!!! I CAN FINALLY SEE SENSEI AND EVERYONE ELSE AGAIN AND MAYBE FINALLY SCORE WITH CHIE-CHAN, YUKI-CHAN AND RISE-CHAN!!! ... DU YOU THINK NAO-CHAN´D LIKE TO GO FOR A ROUND OF SCORING, TOO? :( I REALLY HOPE SO, BECAUSE IF NOT I´LL BE ONE SAD BE_

_jjfo d-xqwCE?$§k9k,Ikkm mnjhjk_

_Argh, I took it back from him! That stupid bear´d really stolen my handy while I was taking a piss! -.-'_

_JIRFV ;I$I§RK "WJNhbn mbhnm,lzhuj mk,lm h bmiu_

_STUPID YOUSKE JUST TOOK AWAY THE CELL PH_

_ehjjlfeglööpgwreäd_

_I´m calling it quits before he gets his hand on it again!_

_Yosuke & Ted_

---------------------------------------------

Souji was grinning from ear to ear while storing away his handy and shook his head. Yes, his friends were still just like back then, no doubt about it.

And while he was keaving the train, it having reached Tokyo, his heart nearly jumped in anticipation about the thought of finally seeing all of his friends at Tokyo´s University.

--------------------------------------------

Annotation: So, this is the second chapter. I hope everyone who read the story until here is pleased so far and doesn´t want to strangle me, because I made one of this characters OOC or something like that. ^^;

Also, I don´t really know about pairings in this story (yet) except one. If someone wants to know it, just ask. ;)


	3. Chapter 3: Tanaba University

_**Chapter 3: Tanaba University**_

Tokyo, capital of Japan, and now Souji´s new hometown for a few years. The young man had learned that the town was a little weird shortly after arriving when, while walking to the University, a sturdy woman with a suspiciously mass of hair on her legs and a stubbly beard had thrown him a kiss from a side street and had asked him to come to her place, and that she wouldn´t bite... hard.

Souji shuddered while imagining the things that woman - was she even a female to begin with? - would have done to him if she´d been alone with him.

If he´d still be seventeen years old and would be living that one year in Inaba, the next moment that voice inside his head would have started with its `I am thou´ for sure and therefore would have doomed him to spend more time with that strange person to strengthen that particular Arcana.

He shuddered again. The worst experience he´d had in relations to leveling up the Social Links had been inside Inaba´s hospital where he´d taken a part-time job. One of the nurses there had practically unclothed him with here eyes, and it just so happened that he´d had to spend time with that woman to level up the Devil Arcana. At the end of his first night working at the hospital and the horrifying realization that he´d have to see that woman again, Souji had had the urgent desire to march into the Velvet Room and to fire Igor and Margaret with `Megidoloan´ to hell.

--------------------------------------------------

_Tanaba University_ was, to put it simply, gigantic. Giant buildings of steel added together to a circle, surrounded by a peaceful and clean campus with a nice fountain in its center. The buildings were all painted in dark blue and therefore seemed particularly unimposing because of the darkness that had fallen over Tokyo at this time of the day.

After standing at the gate to the University for a bit and just looking around, Souji shouldered his heavy bag again and walked through the campus, his destination the building where the lounges for students were situated.

Each student could either live in one of the lounges together with another student or search for an apartment in the city. Souji and his friends had decided they´d rather live in the lounges, though Souji could afford to live in an apartment due to his parents, Yosuke due to Junes and Naoto due to her grandfather. But it was easier like that to do something together after their lessons were over, rather than living dozens of kilometres apart. Though Souji wasn´t that excited about sharing a lounge with Yosuke with whom he would probably share one. He could do without cleaning up after Yosuke, thank you very much. He´d still had the mess of a room in which his best friend lived at home in his mind. If he could, he´d rather share a lounge with Yukiko or Naoto, both well known for their fetish for order, but sadly one couldn´t share a lounge with the opposite sex...

Lost in his thoughts, Souji wandered through the campus when suddenly something jumped on him from behind and tackled him to the ground.

"SENSEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", he could still hear a loudly screaming voice, followed by someone shouting "Get off him, you stupid bear! You´re breaking his neck!" in annoyance, before his head hid the ground, hard, and everything went black around him, a blue butterfly the last thing he saw...

----------------------------------------------

Blue bright light forced Souji, who´d just opened his eyes, to close them again.

"Ah, it seems our guest is back in the realm of the living.", a familiar older voice said, which made him swallow, hard.

_`Oh fuck, no! Oh, fuck, please no!´_, were his last thoughts before he opened his eyes and stared at the weazen face of an old man with a very, veeery long nose who wore an expensive looking black suit and grinned like a lunatic.

"Though one can´t really call this place the `realm of the living´, I guess.", the old man added and chuckled.

"I-Igor...", Souji stammered, totally confused, and looked at the woman beside the old man, expecting a rather tall womand with long blond hair. But to his surprise it was a woman with short blond hair and suspiciously unnatural blue eyes who was sitting beside the old man. She was staring outside the window of the limousine, at the fog.

"Aah, yes, we already had the pleasure to meet each other.", the old man named Igor said and nodded. "Astounding indeed."

"What´s so `astounding´, if I may ask?"

"This is the first time I have the pleasure of meeting a guest inside the Velvelt Room again after completing his destiny.", Igor explained and now looked outside the window, too. "Hmm..."

"Well, then this is clearly a mistake, isn´t it?", Souji said and was about to stand up. "My destiny´s been completed."

"No, unfortunately that doesn´t seem to be the case.", the woman beside Igor disagreed.

Souji looked at her questioningly, then again at Igor.

"Oh, pardon my manors! This here...", began Igor and motioned to the woman. "... is Aigis. She´s a resident of this Velvelt Room, like myself."

"And... where´s Margaret?", Souji asked.

"On a journey.", the woman named Aigis said in a rather robotic voice and once again looked outside the window. "On a journey that will not be successful, I hope."

Confused, Souji stared at her again, then looked at Igor and said: "Why shouldn´t I have fulfilled my destiny? We defeated Izanagi-no-Okami and brought forth the true world inside the TV world!"

Igor sighed. "My boy, look at the fog outside. Look at the form the Velvelt Room has taken."

"I... don´t understand.", Souji said.

"The Velvelt Room always takes on a new form, depending on the guest and their destiny.", Igor explained. "The guest may be the same this time, but if your destiny had been fulfilled, the Velvelt Room should have taken on a fitting form for your current destiny. As you can see, this is not the case."

Slowly, Souji was understanding what Igor was getting at and his heart sunk low. "So it´s not over?", he asked. "There´s still someone or something that´s pushing people into the TV?!"

"No, no, do not worry, nothing like that.", Igor assured him. "The Velvelt Room at reached his destiny outside the fog back then. You´ve seen the true world inside people´s hearts with your own eyes. But..."

"But?"

"The Velvelt Room had steered towards a new wall of fog after that. Something is missing."

"What do you mean, `something is missing´?", Souji asked.

"That, my boy, you have to find out yourself.", Igor said and let some kind of contract appear before him. "Yes, just like I thought. The old contract is still valid which means that it is still not over. I presume you still know the conditions of the contract?"

"Take responsibility for your actions.", Souji answered.

"Correct, my boy. Correct.", Igor said, pleased. "Well then..." The contract disappeared again with a motion of Igor´s hand and several Tarot cards appeared on the table before him. "Let us look at your immediate future..." Another motion of his hand and one of the Tarot cards reared up so that all three persons could see it. A skull in front of a giant door was printed on it: Death. "I don´t think I have to explain that card to you, do I?"

"No.", Souji said and swallowed.

"The danger is very near, death right behind you. You have to hurry or everything will be lost forever behind the fog of the past.", Igor said while he, Aigis and the Velvet Room became more and more blurry. "We will meet again, once your next challenge starts. Until then..."

Again, everything around Souji went black...

--------------------------------------------------

"Partner! Hey, Partner! You still alive? Hey!", Souji heard someone shout from far away, the painful throbbing inside his head tuning everything out.

"Sensei! Sensei!", another voice suddenly squeaked and someone repeatedly tapped against his forehead, adding to the pain.

"Stop it arleady, you stupid bear!", the first voice snapped.

"Yosuke, why do you alwasy have to shout inside my ear?!", the second voice whined.

"Then stop beating him ready for hospital!", the first voice snapped back.

Slowly, Souji opened his eyes and looked up at two young men, one hydrogen blond, the other one with red-brown spiky hair who were bitching at each other.

"Hi, you two...", Souji groaned and stood up on shaky legs.

"Whoa! It´s alive!", the blonde shouted in amazement and again jumped at Souji. "Sensei! Sensei! I´ve missed you sooo much! Sensei!"

"Stop it already!", Yosuke intervened again.

"Time for a beeeeeeaaaaary big hug!", Teddie cheered, not listening to Yosuke at all, and just pushed himself against Souji even more.

"Cut it out already and get back into your bear costume!", Yosuke finalley snapped. He grabbed the blond spider monkey and kicked him inside a hedge near them. "Dude! The way he clung to you, the whole University is gonna think we like something like that!"

"Still as homphobe as ever?", Souji asked, grinning. Yosuke stuck out his tounge in answer. Both man looked at each other for a moment, both grinning from ear to ear, before hugging each other for a short moment.

"Good to see you again, Partner!", Yosuke said and readjusted the headphones of his MP3 players which had gotten out of place while kicking Teddie.

"Pity I couldn´t meet one of the girls first.", Souji said, and Yosuke stuck out his tounge again.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere coooooooooooooooooooooooooooomes Teddie!!!!!!!!!", someone suddenly shouted from the hedges when in the next moment Teddie in his bear costume jumped out of them, striking a victory pose.

Souji a Yosuke were already way ahead of him, near the entrance to the lounges.

"Hey! Wait for me!", Teddie whined and ran after them, his feet making squeaky noises while running.

----------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure? I really think the texture of this couch is rather strange...", the three men heard a familiar woman´s voice down from the hallway.

"Yukiko, those are rooms for students! What do you expect, five-star-hotel-furniture?!", another woman asked.

"Well...", Yukiko began.

"Forget it...", the other one, Chie, sighed.

"I think I should contact our family´s lawyer immediately and complain about it.", a third woman´s voice said.

"Uh, I think that´s not such a good idea, Naoto...", a gruff man´s voice said.

"Kanji Tatsumi! Get your hands off my cell phone or I´ll have to use force!", Naoto threatened.

"A-All right, man!", they could hear Kanji squeaking, followed by a giggling female voice which could only belong to Rise Kujikawa.

"Seems the party´s already started!", Yosuke said to his friends, winking, and went around the corner -- just to crash into Kanji Tatsumi, a rather huge, musculous man -- who was backing away from Naoto Shirogane, a cell phone in one of her hands, a revolver in her other which she was pointing threateningly at Kanji.

"Ow! Hey, diphsit! Watch wheere you´r--!", Kanji started angrily and whirled around, ready to kick the other person´s ass, but stopped when he saw Yosuke. "Yo, Yosuke-senpai! And Souji-senpai and Teddie!"

The friends stared at each other for a while in happines, before suddenly something red stormed through the hallway and jumped into Souji´s arms, screaming "Oooooooh! Senpai!!! I´ve missed you sooooooooo much, Senpai!", Rise squealed while rubbing herself extensively at Souji who was looking to the side in embarrassment.

"Teddie wants a hug, too!", Teddie whined and jumped towards Rise´s rather rich bossom.

"Hands off! Souji-senpai only!", Rise snarled and slapped him so hard one could hear its echo even outside on the campus.

-------------------------------------------

The next minutes were spent hugging each other in happiness and exchanging news.

Souji had spent the time since their last meeting with finishing school and absolving one practical after another. He´d rather left out the wirld flat rate parties he´d been to.

Chie had only moped around after finishing school and hadn´t really tried to gain some new knowledge. No, who needed education if there was to be learned how to destroy a tree with one single kick!

Yosuke didn´t have any free time after finishing school. The employees still called in sick regularly, delivering the most ridiculous excuses for their absence, and poor Yosuke had to do one overtime hour after another. The study would help him to finally climb the job ladder and take over his father´s job one day.

Kanji´s textile creation had become THE hit during the years. He would get a little bit of fine-tuning for his skills during his time at the University.

Naoto had helped her grandfather and the police solve many other cases. She had spent so much time together with Ryotaro Dojima during those cases that they were more like working partners who trusted their backs to each other. She had also observed the hearings and the final judgment of Tohru Adachi to assure that the man would get a just punishment.

Yukiko had been as busy as ever with the family inn.

Rise got one job after another thrown after here, but also wanted to study something different in case she wouldn´t be that popular in the future. One could never be more careful...

And Teddie... Well, Teddie was still Teddie, maskot of Junes. He´d come together with Yosuke and would spent most of the time in the University as Yosuke´s gigantic teddy bear, since someone who´d never had even one school lesson couldn´t very well study here.

"So, who with whom?", Rise finally asked, still clinging to Souji as if she was stuck to him with super glue.

"Huh?!?", Kanji gaped, eyes huge.

"Not THAT, you pervert!", Rise snapped. "I mean who´s going to share a lounge with whom?"

"I want to share one with Chie-chan, Yuki-chan, Rise-chan und Nao-chan!", Teddie squealed in excitement.

"Rejected!", came the immediate answer from everyone else.

"You can only share a lounge with someone of the same gender anyway, you stupid bear!", Yosuke said and whacked him on the head. "And start acting like a stuffed animal!"

"Well, how about--", Chie started.

"Tch!", someone from the other end of the hallway suddenly said. The group whirled around and spotted an older man in an expensive looking suit who was approaching them. "And who are you all?"

"New students! And you, gramps!?", Kanji grunted.

"How dare you, you crude mount of flesh!", the older man bristled at him. "My name is Yosufu Bagman, teacher at this fine institution!"

Kanji was about to open his mout again when Chie silenced him with a kick. Mr. Bagman looked away from Kanji and now stared at Chie, his view stopping at her short skirt.

"Dressed like a whore...", he insulted the brunette who turned red in an instant, and then disapprovingly looked at Rise who still clung to Souji, now letting him go because of the professor´s angry expression.

Mr. Bagman resumed walking and came to a halt in front of Teddie who was doing his best to stand as still as possible.

"And what´s that?", the old professor asked.

"Uh... um... That´s my...", Yosuke began, his face fire-red.

"Yes?"

"My... my teddy bear...", Yosuke said and sunk his head low, wishing that the ground would swallow him up. His eyes widened though when Mr. Bagman ruffled his hair in a fatherly manner.

"Good boy.", the old Mr. Bagman said, glared disapprovingly at the rest of the group and then continued walking down the hallway.

"What the... hell was that?!", Rise finally asked.

"Such a mean old buffer!", Yukiko snarled while Yosuke was touching his hair in disgust.

"Ooooh! Yosuke is the new teacher´s pet!", Chie made fun of him.

"Shut it!", Yosuke snapped.

"Good Yosuke! He´d rather play with his Teddie than molest girls!", Chie continued.

"Shut the hell up!", Yosuke shouted, looked to side in annoyance and noticed that Souji was still looking after Mr. Bagman. "Partner?", Yosuke asked. No answer. "Hey, Partner!"

"... Huh? What?", Souji asked, his gaze slightly glassy.

"Something wrong?", Yosuke asked.

"Uh, no, everything´s... fine...", Souji said. Yosuke still looked at him for a while in confusion, then returned his attention towards the others.

"Sooo...", Chie began anew. "I´ll be sharing a lounge with Yukiko."

"Naoto, how about it? Want to share a lounge?", Rise cheerfully asked. Naoto eyed her up and down for a while, then finally nodded. "Oh yeah! You really are in a happy mode today, as always!", Rise sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Uh, I´ll be sharing a lounge with partner!", Yosuke hastily said while looking slightly scared in Kanji´s direction.

"Okay. So the only ones left are Kanji and...", Chie started and looked from Kanji to Teddie who stared at Kanji.

Silence, then...

"I DON´T WANNA SHARE A ROOM WITH KANJI!!! HE´S GOING TO TRY TO SCORE WITH MEEE!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", Teddie screeched at the top of his lungs.

"' The hell´s that supposed to mean!?", Kanji shouted back.

"You´re after my cute bear fure! Don´t deny it!", Teddie continued screeching.

"You better watch it, or else--!"

"Calm down, you two!", Yosuke interfered. "Ted, you´ll be sharing a lounge with me and partner. It wouldn´t look good, if my teddy bear ended up in Kanji´s room. Just think about the rumors..."

"Ya trying to get at something, Yosuke-senpai!?", Kanji asked, a vein pulsing rather hectically over his right eye.

"Uuuuum...", Yosuke stammered and made for a tactical retreat.

And while his friends were still arguing and laughing, Souji looked down the hallway again to where Mr. Bagman had disappeared. He didn´t know why, but something was definitely strange about that old man...

Annotations: That´s it! Chapter 3 is finished! *looks at fingers that hurt like hell now* I THOUGHT I WAS NEVER GONNA FINISH IT!!!!!! ... Uh, well...

Oh yeah, this story WILL have connections between Persona 4 and Persona 3. They´re situated in the same world, so of course they will be connected!

Please review! ^^


	4. Chapter 4: Internet Chat

_**Chapter 4: Internet Chat**_

After a few minutes and of more small talk and one try of Teddie to sneak into Rise and Naoto´s room, for the first time Souji and his two friend entered their lounge which was divided into three seperate small rooms: A small bathroom, a kitchen with a stove and a table, and a bedroom with two beds opposite of each other and two working desks in front of the window. The lounge was really fairly small, but it was only for students, after all. They would be at their lessons or in the city together with the rest of the group most of the time anyway. They wouldn´t need the kitchen as well since they would only be here to study or sleep. Even though Souji was a fairly good cook...

"Teddie´s gonna take that bed!", Teddie announced with the elation of a little child and stormed towards the bed on the right side.

"Nope.", Yosuke simply said and deposited his belongings on that bed. Teddie grimaced and turned towards the other bed where Souji was already storing away his possessions.

"But... But...", Teddie started, lip trembling, as if he was about to cry.

"What?", Yosuke asked absentmindedly, opening his trunk.

"A-and wh-where will T-Teddie... sleep?", Teddie asked, sniffing.

"Here.", Yosuke said and threw some sheets at him. Teddie looked at the sheets, a big question mark above his head, and then stared at Yosuke. "What? You already know that these lounges are only made for two persons. One of us has to sleep on the floor. And that one be neither me nor partner! If someone´s going to sleep on the floor, it´ll be the one who has nothing to do for the whole day."

"But... we could sleep together in one bed.", Teddie suggested.

"Urgh! No, thanks, I´ve already puked today.", Yosuke disapproved.

"Aww, come on. He´s your teddy bear after all, isn´t he?", Souji winked and laughed as he dodged the pillow Yosuke threw at him.

"Can I sleep with you, Sensei?", Teddie asked hopefully.

"Nope.", came Souji´s answer promptly, proceeding to set up his laptop. Sadly, the blond Shadow hung his head low and started to arrange a sleeping berth for himself in front of Yosuke´s bed.

----------------------------------

Having finished unpacking, the three booted up their laptops.

"I wanna play RuneScape! RuneScape!", Teddie whined immediately.

"We´re not playing, we´re chatting.", Souji corrected him and opened the chat program´s window on his laptop while Yosuke proceeded to do the same.

"Chat?", Teddie asked.

"Jap. If we´re in our lounges and really have to discuss something with the others, but can´t go to them at that time, we´ll use this here.", Yosuke explained and looked at the sheet of paper in his hands. "Let´s see. Chie´s nickname is... _Meat-Momma2000_?! What the...?!" Souji only laughed while Yosuke rolled his eyes. "I really could have thought so. That girl and her steaks..." He wrote _`Meat-Momma200´_ in the chat window, and immediately after the name appeared together with a yellow smiley which announced that Chie was online. "Good. Her laptops not crashing for once." On Souji´s laptop appeared the message that Chie was online as well. "And Yukiko is... _Izanagi´s Tear_?!" He looked at Souji, confused.

"According to Japanese mythology Amaterasu was born from one of Izanagi´s tears.", Souji said, unimpressed, and entered Yukiko´s name into the chat program.

"Oh, I see! And I was just about to think that she...", Yosuke mumbled and looked at the sheet of paper once again. "Rise´s _Souji´s Angel_. What a surprise!" He rolled his eyes again and entered her name into his laptop as well. "So, next is Kanji... Do I have to have him in the list?" Souji glared at him. "Alright, alright, fine. Kanji´s... _GottaCrush´emAll_?! Did that guy watch Pokémon one too many times?!" The nickname was entered into their laptops as well. "Naoto´s nickname´s _AceDetective33_. Tch! Well, she´s got no problem with modesty!"

"Jealous?", Souji asked and grinned when Yosuke stuck out his tounge in answer.

"And what´s your nickname?", Yosuke asked.

"_KnuddelsForever_."

"Oioioioioio...", Yosuke only said and shook his head while entering the nickname. Nothing happened. "Hey, what the..." He looked at Souji who was trying so hard not burst out laughing. "You asshole! Give me your nickname already, dude!"

"_HassouTobiCrusher9000_.", Souji finally answered after having finished his laughing fit. "And yours?"

"_TonightWeGarudyneInHell_.", Yosuke answered, still offended.

"'kay. Everything´s set.", Souji set when the first message already appeared in the chat window:

_-Meat-Momma2000: Hey, Yosuke, what kinda crappy nickname is that supposed to be?! Lol!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: You´re one to tlk! Is there really nothing else you´re capable of thinking about the whole day?! I´m astonished that you haven´t burst from all those steaks already!_

_- AceDetective33: `Talk´._

_- Meat-Momma: OOOOH, YOU´RE DEAD, HANAMURA!!!!!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Tch! Bring it on!_

_- AceDetective33: `Talk´._

_- Izanagi´s Tear: Do you really have to fight on the first day already?_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: Well, my bet goes to Chie-senpai winning._

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: You stay outta this, Poké-Freak!_

_- AceDetective33: `Talk´._

_- GottaCrush´emAll: HEY!!!!!!!!!!!_

_- Souji´s Angel: Yukiko-senpai! WTF is the meaning of that name, huh!? Souji-senpai´s MINE!!!!! :/_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: No, this is a misunderstanding, Rise-chan!_

_- AceDetective33: `Talk´!_

_- HassouTobiCrusher9000: Come on, settle down, everyone._

_- AceDetective33: DAMNIT ALL TO HELL!!! IT´S `TALK´, NOT ´TLK´, YOSUKE-SENPAI!!! STOP IGNORING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_*AceDetective33 went offline*_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: .................................._

_- Souji´s Angel: I think it´d be best if I looked where´s she´s run off to. Bye! ^^_

_*Souji´s Angel went offline*_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: I think that was the cue for everyone to logg off._

_- GottaCrush´emAll: Wha?! But we´ve just come online!_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: That was just a test to see if everything´s alright. I for one am pretty tired from the train ride and am going to sleep now._

_*Izanagi´s Tear went offline*_

_*Meat-Momma2000 went offline*_

_*HassouTobiCrusher5000 went offline*_

_*TonightWeGarudyneInHell went offline*_

_- Gotta Crush´emAll: Guys...? Hey!_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_- GottaCrush´emAll: YOU CAN ALL GO TO HELL!!!_

_*GottaCrush´emAll went offline*_

"So much for a fancy chat before going to sleep...", Yosuke sighed and looked at Teddie who was already fast asleep and snoring soundly. "Well, I think I´ll be going to bed now, too. Night!"

"Night!", Souji said as well and lay down in his bed, the talk with Igor and Aigis inside the Velvet Room long forgotten...

----------------------------------------

Annotations: Not really much this time, but oh well...


	5. Chapter 5: The scream

_**Kapitel 5: The scream**_

Night had fallen over the students´ lounges at Tanaba University. For the most part the hallways were full of silence. Only a few students were talking quietly with each other in front of the entrances to their lounges and glared annoyed at Mr. Bagman who was patroling through the hallways like a giant bat, making sure that none of these rascals dared to make any trouble. Those girls and their short skirts where you could almost see their panties! No, society just couldn´t keep on going like that! Never! If he were the leader of this academic isntitut, he´d had those whores thrown out in no time, for sure!

Souji, Teddie and Yosuke didn´t really notice anything about the old professor´s ridiculous thoughts. All three men were in their beds - in Teddie´s case, sheets - and were sleeping peacefully - in Yosuke´s case snoring loudly. While Souji´s dreams were rather G-rated, Yosuke´s dreams were kind of perverted, filled with women like Shakira or the likes. Teddies dreams though were rather... strange...........

He was wandering down a foggy corridor, no end in sight.

"Sensei...?", he asked, sounding rather scared, while his feet made those squeaky noises on the floor.

He continued walking for a while, not understanding where he was. It was just like back then when he´d thought that Nanako had died and he´d ended up in a world of fog like this place here. Only the long corridor and the fog... and that creepy giant door-like thing at the horizon which just didn´t come closer, no matter how far he went... But then, slowly, very slowly, Teddie spotted an apparitional person far away.

"Sensei?", he asked again. The person had turned his back to him. Teddie walked towards that figure, but no matter how far he went, he just couldn´t get any nearer to that person. He concentrated and tried to tell who exactly it was that was teasing him here. The person was definitely male, he could tell by the person´s figure. And the man wasn´t that tall. But he couldn´t tell more, no matter how hard he tried.

"Uuugh!", Teddie suddenly snarled. "Do you really thinks it´s funny to tease a poor cute bear like that?! Sit still, would you!" He started to run, and really! The person came closer and closer, he could almost reach him with his claws--

------------------

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Teddie jumped up in horror from his sleeping berth, Souji already at the door, while Yosuke was so startled by the scream the he became tangled in the sheets and crashed towards the floor, cursing while trying to untangle himself.

"W-what was that?!", Teddie asked.

"I dunno.", Yosuke said, managed to get free, and followed Souji, Teddie who was now out of his bear costume right behind him. Others would think of him as a student in his human form anyway.

They followed Souji through the hallways, trying to find the source of the scream.

"Yo! What´s happened?!", Kanji who ran into Yosuke and Teddie asked. Another smaller man was right behind Kanji, probably the student Kanji had to share his lounge with, but Yosuke was too busy to notice at the moment.

"Someone was screaming somewhere.", he just said while still following Souji.

They approached the women´s side where the hallways where full of whispering students.

"Chie!", Souji called, having spotted Chie in the mass of people. The brunette whirled around at the mentioning of her name and, after having recognised Souji, made Yukiko and Rise who were with her aware of the men´s arrival.

"What happened?", Yosuke asked.

"I... I don´t really know...", Yukiko stammered, her face very pale.

"There´s some talk about a dead body.", Rise said, scared. "Naoto managed to squeeze through the mass of people to get a look at it."

"A dead body?! Whoa, man! Not cool!", the man Kanji shared a lounge with said. Yosuke´s eyes widened at the sound of the man´s voice.

"Kou?!", he shouted in surprise when he saw his former school friend who stood right behind him.

"The one and only!", Kou Ichijo said and looked at Souji who´d started to squeeze his way through the horde of people. "Oi, Souji, wait for me!" He stormed forwards after Souji, his smaller figure helping him to get through.

"Hey, wait!", Yosuke shouted and ran after them.

The farther Souji got, the more clearly he could hear someone sobbing. Finally he reached the end of the mass of people and stared at an opened door to a lounge where a young woman with short red hair sat on the ground and cried, Naoto beside her, not having a clue who to console her.

"Oh, Senpai!", Naoto said as she spotted Souji.

"What happened here?", Souji asked and entered, followed by Yosuke and Kou.

"Murder.", Naoto answered gloomily and looked at the beds of the lounge where dozens of professors of the university, a doctor and police officers stood. She looked at Yosuke. "Hanamura-senoai, please take care of the girl." Together with Souji she went towards the bed while leaving Yosuke and Kou behind to comfort the girls. "Excuse me!", Naoto said to one of the police officers who turned around.

"What?!", the man grumbled, about to throw the annoying brats out of the room.

"My name is Naoto Shirogane.", Naoto said, and the officer´s eyes immediately whidened.

"O-oh, Shirogane! Oooh...", the officer stammered and swallowed.

"I would like to know what happened here.", Naoto inquired while she and Souji stared at the corpse of a young woman who lay in her bed, wide-eyed, no traces of blood or violence.

"Well...", the officer started, probably pondering about how much he could tell the young detective. Naoto threw a look at him that clearly said `Talk or I´ll drag your sorry ass faster to court than you can scream "Help me, mommy!"´. "W-We currently don´t really know that much ourselves. According to the girl that shared the lounge together with the victim..." He looked at the crying womand who was comforted by Yosuke and Kou. "... said victim had been perfectly fine yesterday. This morning when the woman, Patty Sideu, awoke she saw the victim like you can see her here now.

"That was about ten minutes ago, right?", Naoto asked. The officer nodded. "Well, I´ll be. You arrived really fast here." Her gaze became more and more inquiring.

"Th-there are several police officers stationed at the University.", the officer explained hastily. "There had been more and more cases of brawls or vandalism under the influence of alcohol here, so the University´s director asked the police to station some of their men here that could be there immediately."

"Ah, I see. All to avoid bad reputation.", Naoto said and nodded. She looked at the woman named Patty Sideu who was still crying. "Could Sideu have done it?"

"Not likely.", the officer answered. "Both of them only met yesterday for the first time. They´re both new here, and would´ve had their first official day at University today."

"Hmm...", Naoto looked at the corpse again, deep in thought.

"Hmph!", someone suddenly snarled from the entrance door, and the other ones present whirled around, startled: Mr. Bagman had just now entered the room, clinging to a cane today because of his rheumathism. "So finally one of those brats died.", the old professors said, satisfaction more than evident in his voice. "Listen up, you inferior beings! One day all of you will end up like that hussy there! I´ve always said so: Lew and inappropriate behavior will someday always be punished by god! And this is the perfect example!" Souji could hear the officer sighing beside him.

"What?", Naoto asked.

"Professor Bagman. He always spouts nonsence like that.", the officer explained. "We had to protect him from a few students who got fed up with him several times."

And while several police officers began pushing Mr. Bagman out of the room, the old professor threw one last look at Souji who looked back at the old man. Their gazes crossed, Souji analyzing, Mr. Bagman´s knowing and sneering. Again, Souji felt that rather queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach before suddenly cringing when an unbeareble pain seared through his head. He stormed towards the door.

"Senpai, what--?", Naoto began in surprise.

"I´m feeling sick.", Souji only answered, his voice coming out choked, the searing pain not ending.

"I am thou...", a voice whispered.

"Partner?", he heard Yosuke say behind him.

"Have to go to the bathroom...", Souji hurriedly said. "Stay here... Be back soon..."

"Thou art I..."

"Ooo... kay...", he heard Kou say while everything around him started to become blurry.

"From the sea of thy soul I come..."

He made himself a way through the mass of people by pushing and shoving and finally managed to enter one of the bathrooms, pushed open a cabin, shut it behind himself and just about managed to sit down on the toilette before collapsing, losing consciousness...

---------------------------

Annotations: Another chapter finished! Yay! ^^ Please review!


	6. Chapter 6: Persona Chaos

_**Chapter 6: Persona Chaos**_

Ryotaro Dojima had experienced many crimes and their committers during his years as detective. He´d seen them in all social standings - as beggars who´d done it because of money, plain normal people who´d finally snapped and comitted a massacre, people who´d been cheated on and, as clicheed as it sounded, gardeners who´d murdered their employes in their hatred. But he´d never had to arrest someone who´d been so close to him...

Lighting himself a cigarette while sighing, he looked back towards the window behind which Tohru Adachi who, smiling in delight, was taken back to his cell by a jailer.

Again and again, Dojima asked himself how it could have been that he´d never realized that his own colleague with whom he´d worked together for months had murdered two people and had made another man kidnap dozens of innocent people. But then he thought back how Adachi had done it and he´d rather forget it all again.

People who´d been thrown into TV´s? Another world inside the TV? Shadows? Personas?

As always Dojima shook his head while walking through the jail grounds. No matter how true it all was - the kidnapping of his daughter Nanako back then, the explanations of his nephew and the talks with Adachi in prison were more than enough proof - he´d just wanted to act as if it was just all a lie, just stupid nonsense.

But it was true, just as true as the fact that his daughter still cried in her nightmares and begged Namatame to please let her go. The happy grin Adachi´s came back to Dojima´s memory, and his whole body started shaking. It was scary to see how Adachi was totally normal one moment, but started to act like an absolute lunatic the next moment, and people had to confiscate all his belongings immediately since he may very well try to use them as weapons.

Dojima was more than happy that he´d never made his former colleague too angry or he could have ended up inside the TV as well...

But even he couldn´t understand why he still visited Adachi in prison. Probably because he felt obligated to look after his former colleauge whom he´d come to really appreciate and even maybe call a good friend before finding out that he´d been the murderer all along.

Again, he sighed. Adachi had already explained to him that he´d only befriended the old detective because of his Social Links that he´d tried to strengthen.

Social Links... Dojima wondered just how much of Souji´s affection towards him and his daughter had been real, and how much of it had been fake in order to strengthen his Social Links. That thought made him slightly made since he´d really started to like his nephew and had even considered him the son he´d never had, not to forget Nanako who adored her `Big Bro´ oh so much. Of course, he could also understand his nephew. He had needed those Social Links to strengthen his Personas for the battles in the other world. But still...

"Argh!", Dojima suddenly grumbled, threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped on it.

Damnit! Why couldn´t he just stop thinking about it?! Visits in prison with Adachi always made him think about it. It was time to get himself a hobby. Maybe a dog or something like that... No, he couldn´t stand those flea circuses.

He sighed, hands in his pockets and wandered back home, grumpy. Maybe Nanako had something really delicious for him already waiting...

----------------------------------------

"Ah ha ha ha! No, not there! It tickles!"

His eyes widening in horror, Dojima let his jacket that he´d just been about to store away fall to the ground when he´d heard his daughter say those sentences inside her room.

"No! Not there! Ah! Uh...", he heard his daughter continue. A vein above his eyes was pulsing with all its might, his face red with anger, revolver already in his hands.

SOME SLIMY LITTLE BRAT WAS JUST TRYING TO DEVOUR HIS LITTLE ANGEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He stormed through the entrance hall, continued through the kitchen/living-room, stopped in front of the door to Nanako´s room, kicked it open with brute force and stormed inside to save his daughter.

"OKAY, YOU PERVERTED BASTARD!!! HOW DARE Y---!!!", Dojima started, but stopped, his mouth open and his eyes huge, when he saw some sort of grinning snowman who wore a blue cap sitting on his daughter´s lap.

"Oooh, Daddy! Welcome back!", Nanako greeted her dad and took the little snowman into her arms, the thing trying to wriggle free. "This is Jack Frost, Daddy! May I keep him?"

----------------------------------

"... Souji? Yo, Souji! You there?"

Still totally dazed, Souji realized that someone was calling his name. Moaning in agony, he opened his eyes and looked around. He lay on the floor inside a cabin near a toilette, a pool of vomit - probably his own - centimetres beside his face.

"Souji?", the person asked again.

_`Kou..._´, Souji thought and slowly stood up, trying not to make any noise while doing so.

"Um, yeah, I´m here, Kou!", he finally shouted.

"Oh, good!", Kou said. "We were really worried, dude! Some killer´s running around here murdering people, you know! Did you fall into the toilette or something?! You´re worse than Daisuke when he gets congestion!"

_`Too much information..._´, Souji only thought. "I... I´m almost finished. Tell the others not to worry."

"Yap. Got it.", he heard Kou say, followed be the closing of a door.

Seconds later Souji let himself fall onto the toilette in exhaustion. What had just happened...? He´d... felt Izanagi. He hadn´t felt his Persona in five years. Why should he? He´d never had to use enter the TV world again after defeating Izanami-no-Okami again. Just once he and his friends had been there again to have a picknick on the beautiful meadow near the crystal clear river to celebrate their victory. But after that nobody but Teddie had entered the TV world again.

But this nausea he´d felt just now during his Persona´s awakening wasn´t due to the fact that he hadn´t summoned it in five years, but because of the fact that it had happened in this world, not inside the TV world.

This had never happened before. Personas should only appear inside the TV world, not here, not inside an University full of students who´d see it all and would panic in an instand, not in a place full of police officers who would think of him as someone dangerous and would start to shoot at him. He started shivering while thinking about being killed by dozens of bullets.

The strain to hold back Izanagi had almost killed him. It had been akin to a wonder that he´d managed to reach the bathroom just in time, only to collapse while his Persona had broke free from him for a few seconds...

But why had his Persona suddenly felt the strong need to break free? He´d felt this limitless rage of Izanagi. Rage that had slowly started to possess even him... He thought back and remembered Mr. Bagman´s smirking face. Another wall of fury started to built inside his stomach, created by Izanagi.

Hurriedly, he thought about Mrs. Kashiwagi and Hanako in their bikinis, and immediately his anger disappeared, replaced by nausea

Mr. Bagman... That man was evil, no doubt about it. He been nearly ecstatic about the death of that student. If Souji had to describe the man he would say that he was an extremely worse version of King Moron. But his Persona reacted so strongly towards him. Why? Did he really kill one of the students in his delusion to punish all disobedient students?

Souji shook his head. No, he couldn´t just jump to conclusions like that. They had made that mistake in Inaba once when they´d first suspected Mitsuo, then Namatame to be the murderer and therefore had just done what Adachi had wanted them to do.

And besides, Souji reminded himself, Izanagi or another one of his Personas had never reacted like that towards Adachi, even after finding out that he´d been the one to kill those people.

No, Izanagi must have reacted like that because of something else. And he´d just had to find out what that was!

He stood up, wandered through the room, opened the door and squeezed through the mass of people still present in the hallways, accidently pushing a woman with glasses against a wall.

He would find out just what was happening here, no matter what...


	7. Chapter 7: Fool's Awakening

_**Chapter 7: Fool´s Awakening**_

While Souji walked down the hallway and thought about Izanagi´s strange behaviour he didn´t notice how he accidently bumped against a rather young woman wearing glasses, probably a student, and knocked her to the side, crashing against a wall and landing on the floor, losing her glasses during the fall.

"Ow!", she moaned in agony and rubbed her now throbbing shoulder.

"Huh...? Oh, sorry!", Souji, now having realized what he´d done, apologized, and was about to help her search for her glasses when Kou who had spotted him through the masses suddenly stood in front of him, blocking his path towards the woman.

"There you are, dude! The others are already waitin´!", Kou said, annoyed, grabbed Souji and dragged him away.

"But...!", Souji started and looked worriedly at the woman who had now found her glasses again and was looking around in confusion, before Mr. Bagman who had freed himself from the police´s custody was advancing towards her to scold her for her behaviour; her skirt had become disarranged during her fall and one could see her panties now clearly.

"No buts!", Kou interrupted him and dragged him back to the lounge that he, Yosuke and Teddie shared.

"Yo, Senpai! There you are.", Kanji who had sat himself together with the other on one of the chairs in front of the kitchen table. Souji and Kou sat down as well.

"Man, that was some reception!", Chie suddenly sighed and visible sank down in her chair.

Yukiko´s whole body was shaking. "I must be cursed...", she said, the others looking at her questioningly. "Well, no matter where I go, there are always dead people around me. First in Inaba, now here."

"Then you´re certainly not the only cursed person here.", Yosuke said.

"Can´t you just revive that girl with Samareca--", Teddie started, but was cut off by a kick from Rise.

"Sama-what?!", Kou asked, confused, and stared at Teddie. He´d seen the blonde a few times in Inaba, but hadn´t really tried to speak with him until now.

"Pay no attention to him. He always talks about weird stuff like that.", Yosuke hurriedly said, rolling his eyes to make it more convincing. Kou still didn´t look all that convinced, but forgot all about it when Rise pushed Chie towards him a little bit. The others knew about Kou´s crush on Chie.

"Did they find some clues now?", Souji asked Naoto.

"None at all.", Naoto said, watching in disdain how Kou was staring shamelessly at Chie´s breasts. "There are no traces of someone doing something to the victim. The windows were closed just like the door that had been opened by force by a few students once they´d heard the scream."

"But then the only possible perpetrator could be the girl - Sideu was her name? - living with her. Right?", Yukiko.

"They´re taking the DNA at the moment. But I doubt it was Sideu.", Naoto answered.

"Yeah. It seems kinda unlikely for her to kill her roommate a few hours after meeting her.", Yosuke agreed.

"Maybe it was that giant asshole.", Kanji said.

"Giant asshole?", Rise repeated and just about dodged Teddie who had tried to analyze the size of her breats with his bare hands.

"Stop it!", Chie snarled and whacked the blond Shadow on the head.

"I assume you´re talking about that Bagman.", Kou said.

"Yap, that guy. For me he´s King Moron II.", Kanji said.

"Tatsumi, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from insulting people you barely know.", Naoto said and sent a glare towards him that clearly said `do as I say or they´ll be transporting your testicles out of the University today´. Kanji´s face went beet-red, and he looked to the side.

"Oooooooh! Nao-chan is soooooo~ cool!", Teddie shouted in awe and was about to attack his next victim. Naoto only pointed her gun at him which was enough to stop him immediately.

"So, what´re we gonna do?", Souji finally asked.

"Hmm?", Yukiko looked at him questioningly.

"Are we going to leave it up to the police - and probably totally fail at it - or are we going to take matters into our own hands?", Souji continued.

"Um... Well...", Yukiko started.

"I will be invastigating, no matter what. My honor as detective is at stake.", Naoto announced.

"I´m in, too.", Yosuke said and grinned. The others agreed whole-heartedly, and finally Yukiko nodded in agreement as well.

"Well, then...", Souji started, but stopped, his eyes going huge.

"Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou hast established a new bond...", Souji heard a mysterious voice say inside his head, the card of the `Fool´ appearing right before his eyes. "It brings thee closer to the truth behind thruths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana..." He felt some kind of flickering inside his heart, and the creation of the new Social Link.

"What´s wrong, Senpai?", Rise asked, slightly worried.

"Um, sorry. Everything just went black for a moment.", Souji lied. "I guess I´m not feeling that well today."

"Then just stay in bed today.", Rise suggested and winked at him seduvtively. "I´ll be taking gooooooood care of you."

"No. You shouldn´t be absent on your first day of University, sick or not.", Naoto butted in.

"Aw... And there goes my chance to wear that cute nurse costume...", Rise grumbled.

Souji looked from one person to the other, his gaze lingering on Kou. So Kou belonged to the Fool Arcana this time, too. He´d thought that only persons who could use Personas could belong to that Arcana, but it seemed he´d been wrong about that. It would be difficult for them to the discuss the events and finding the culprit while at the same time trying to make sure that Kou would never know about the other world. The way things looked like this had been no ordinary murder. That much was for sure.

"Well, I guess we should start heading towards the PC.", Naoto suggested.

"PC?", Teddie asked, thinking about a computer.

"That´s an abbreviation for `Public Center´ where the students have to gather for speeches of the director or professors.", Yukiko explained.

"Ugh, the first thing is some long-ass talk.", Yosuke groaned. "I think I´m going to take a pillow with me, just in case." Naoto threw a condescending glare at him which he just ignored as he left the kitchen.

"Where´re you going?", Chie asked.

"Changing clothes.", Yosuke explained from the beed room.

"While we´re still here! Eww! I don´t want to see you half naked! Üääärh!!!", Chie screamed, jumped up and grabbed Yukiko. "Come on, Yukiko, we´re outta here before we get blind because of that!"

"Well, see ya later.", Kanji said and left the lounge, followed by his roommate Kou.

"Let us go as well, Kujikawa.", Naoto said and stood up as well.

"I... um... I still haven´t finished my cocoa.", Rise stammered hastily and motioned at her cup which was still half full. She certainly wouldn´t miss a chance to peek at Souji-senpai changing! Never!

"WE´RE. GOING.", Naoto snarled, barking both words, and dragged her out of the kitchen.

"Aww man!", Rise whimpered and looked towards the bed room. If she couldn´t see Senpai, then at least she try peeking at Yosuke-senpai. He wasn´t her type in regards to his character, but he looked kind of cute, after all. Unfortunetly, the door to the bed room was closed. Rise left in defeat.

Souji chuckled and now entered the bed room as well, followed by Teddie who started to change clothes.

"What are YOU doing?", Yosuke asked, having finished changing.

"Well, we have to go to the BC.", Teddie explained.

"It´s `PC´, not `BC´.", Yosuke corrected him. "And besides, only students have to go there. You´ll be a good bear and wait here and until we get back."

"But...", Teddie started and lowered his head in sadness.

"We´ll be back really soon.", Souji promised and patted the blond shadow´s head.

"I´ll be playing RuneScape then.", Teddie said and used his nickname `Sensei´sTeddie´ to log in. Yosuke rolled his eyes and left the lounge together with Souji.

"RuneScape?", Souji asked.

"Don´t ask me.", Yosuke answered. "He somehow found that site while I was at school and he was bored."

"So he´s still living at your parents´ house?", Souji asked.

"Yeah. And he´s totally wrapped my parents around his finger. They´re treating him like a second son.", Yosuke sighed, but looked amused. "Don´t tell him, but he´s really like a little brother to me."

"Wo has a little brother?", Kou asked, having caught up with them together with Kanji.

"Yosuke says Teddie´s like a li--", Souji started, but didn´t get to finish his sentence because Yosuke threw his pen at him.

"I told you not to tell anyone!", Yosuke snarled.

"You said that I shouldn´t tell Teddie.", Souji corrected him. "You didn´t say I couldn´t tell Kou or Kanji."

"I hate you."

"I like you, too.", Souji said. Yosuke stuck out his tounge at him. Souji ignored him and looked at Kou. "That was really a surprise, seeing you here, Kou? What´re you doing here?"

"The same thing every student does: Studying.", Kou answered, grinning. "No, kidding aside! I´d told you back then that my little sis would take over the Ichijo family and that I´d want to be a good big brother for her who could support her."

"Ah, that´s right. I remember.", Souji nodded and remembered the orphanage´s letter that Kou had given him on that day.

"You should´ve seen Daisuke.", Kou sighed. "He´d cried without end when I´d left."

"Well, you´ve been hanging around each other since you were kids, like twins.", Yosuke said, shrugging. "It´s only natural."

"Ya know, Yosuke-senpai, sometimes ya really say the best things.", Kanji said.

"Sometimes?!", Yosuke repeated, indignant.

"Oh, that´s right, I saw Kanji chatting on his laptop yesterday.", Kou said. "I´ve created an account, too. Can you add me?"

"Um, sure.", Souji said, having lost another possibility to discuss things with the others that Kou shouldn´t know.

"Cool. My nickname´s _`PolishThoseBalls´_.", Kou said. Yosuke and Kanji backed away from him. "W-What?"

"That´s...", Kanji started.

"... Soooo gay!", Yosuke finished and looked at Kanji. "You got yourself the perfect roommate, Kanji.

" 'The hell...?!", Kanji shouted and stormed after a loudly cackling Yosuke.

"Who´re you calling gay?!", Kou snarled and started chasing Yosuke as well.

Again Souji had to chuckle despite this morning´s tragic occurance.

Yes, it was really good to be together with his old friends again.

----------------------------------------

Annotations: Whew, done! Anyway, I´m trying so hard not to lay my focus on Yosuke too much, but he is kinda my favourite character. Sorry if he gets too much screen time for your liking. ^^; Also, I´m normally a total yaoi fangirl, and I already had to delete so many passages which just screamed `Souji x Yosuke´ far too much. This will not be a yaoi fanfiction, but of course there could be a boy x boy pairing or a girl x girl pairing on the side. I´ll choose however I may see it fitting, so every homophobic should just skip this fanfiction, okay?

Also, I´m German so the sentences may not always be correct or sound kinda strange. Sorry! ^^;


	8. Chapter 8: The Corpse

_**Chapter 8: The Corpse**_

When Souji entered the PC, Yosuke, Kanji and Kou had already managed to get halfway towards the women of their group who were already sitting in one corner of the room. The students were still talking and whispering inside the giant room which wasn´t really surprising, considering the things that had happened this morning.

"Shut up, you brats! SHUT IT!!!", Mr. Bagman shouted from the podium and stomped his cane on the floor a few times for emphasis.

A young woman wearing glasses, totally surprised the old professor´s sudden appearance, jumped up in terror and crashed into some of the other students. Souji realized after a few seconds that it was the same woman he´d nearly knocked out in the hallways this morning.

"Ito Ikas! Continue like that and I´ll make sure you can go through the first semester a second time!", Mr. Bagman snapped at her.

"I-I...", the woman named Ikas Ito started while she looked to the ground, her body shaking. "I-I´m... sorry..."

"Hmph!", was Mr. Bagman´s only answer before he advanced towards some of the older students who were filling some condoms with water which they planned to throw through the hall during the speech.

Ikas hurriedly said down again and didn´t says anything when some students smeared bubble gum into their hair, cackling maliciously.

"Disgusting...", Naoto snarled, her hand itching for her revolver to stop to guys.

"There´s not much you can do. There will always be people like that.", Yukiko sighed.

Mr. Bagman shouted again for everyone to be quiet before the director of _Tanaba University_ entered the podium, several police officers behind him.

"This University seems to be really strict.", Kou whispered.

"That´s finde with me. Less troublemakers.", Naoto said.

"Well, don´t you rather feel like you´re in prison with all those officers?", Chia added.

"It´s not much worse than all those bodyguards always following me around.", Rise shrugged, leaning with her head against Souji´s shoulder. "My manager´d even tried to sent some of them with me here. It had taken many days to convince him otherwise, let me tell you!"

"Silence!", Mr. Bagman who patrolling through the hall barked and threw pieces of chalk at them.

"... to hone this University.", some of the director´s words could be heard. "All complaints and pleas and suspicions in regards to the case can be directed at Mr. Sanada." The director motioned towards a man wearing a police uniform, his hair slightly silver, like Souji´s. The rather muscular man nodded shortly and forced himself to an awkward smile.

"Wonder what their talkin´ about...", Chie said.

"About the murder.", Yosuke answered.

"Wow! Since when are _YOU_ listening to a teacher or a professor?!"

"Since I have a chance to be loved by them.", Yosuke replied.

"Oooh, you and your teddy bear! Isn´t he the cutest!", Chie made fun of him.

"You stupid...!"

"SILENCE!!!", Mr Bagman barked and threw and especially big piece of chalk at Chie.

"Why only me?!", Chie whispered angrily.

"Well, it pays to be the teacher´s pet.", Yosuke said and sprawled in pure bliss.

"Hey, what´s happened to Kanji?", Souji, not feeling his arm anymore because of Rise leaning against him, asked.

"He´s snoring like a log.", Kou answered and looked at the sleeping Kanji, backing away a little bit in disgust when he started drooling.

"Eww! Disgusting!", Yukiko shrieked.

Mr. Bagman was advancing towards them again - this time with sharp pens - , but stopped when he saw a green-haired woman walking towards them.

"Um, excuse me.", the woman said to Souji and the others who looked up her in confusion. "Could you please be a little more quiet? I´m sure you have much to talk about, but you please do that after the speech?" The others only nodded, surprised by that person who was talking to them so politely, even though they were talking the whole time during the ceremony.

"And you are?", Kou asked.

"Professor Yamagishi. I teach informatics.", Professor Yamagishi introduced herself. "Please be a little more quiet or dear old professor Bagman will get a heart attack.

"That would be just too good...", Chie grumbled, but stopped when Yukiko looked at her disapprovingly.

Smiling, professor Yamagishi nodded at the students, then went back towards the other professors that were near the podium.

_`That´s a nice professor...´_, Souji thought, having chosen informatics. _`I hope she´s going to be one of my professors.´_

"Uh-oh...", Kou suddenly whined.

"Hmm?", Yosuke asked.

"Think I´ll have to use the toilette.", Kou said.

"Wait till after the ceremony.", Yosuke shrugged.

"Not... possible...", Kou said and blushed a bit. "Diarrhea..."

"Ugh! Too much information!", Chie shouted in disgust.

"So-sorry...", Kou stumbled, face now beet-red, and stormed towards the door, not looking where he went and knocked over Mr. Bagman who was admonishing to girls that had bad-mouthed the director´s horrible hair cut.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!", Mr. Bagman screamed, jumped up and ran after Kou. "WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!!!"

Every student and every professor watched in amazement and horror as Mr. Bagman ran after Kou who, not having noticed in his hurry to get to the toilette that the old professor was after him, immediately closed the door after him, Mr. Bagman crashing into it with his head, knocking himself out.

"Uuumm...", the director stammered while some of the professors and police officers - professor Yamagishi and the officer Sanada being one of them - tended to the now unconscious old man. "Well... chrm, chrm... Continuing on..."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Kou didn´t get back during the speech. And even hours later when the group spent their down on the campus he didn´t come back.

"Hmm... Must be really bad.", Yukiko said.

"Just peachy! I have to share a lounge with him! What if I get somethin´ from him, huh?!", Kanji whined.

"Then you´d have the _PERFECT_ excuse not to go to your seminars.", Yosuke answered and looked at the piece of paper on which was written where he had his seminars and what professors would teach them. "Ugh! I can´t believe it! The first seminar´s already literature with that Bagman!"

Chie laughed maliciosuly.

"I feel for you.", Souji said, having to endure the same fate.

"Why did you choose literature, anyway, Hanamura-senpai?", Naoto asked, interested. "As far as I know you don´t need literature as a manager of a shopping district."

"Well, um...", Yosuke started and looked to the said. "You´ll... never know, right?"

"Hmm...", Naoto looked at him analytically, but didn´t say any more.

Chie´s stomach suddenly started rumbling.

"Oops! Um... Time to eat?", Chie asked, her cheeks gone red, while Yosuke rolled his eyes.

"Well, it´s 2 p.m. already. I think we could get something to eat.", Yukiko said, having checked her wrist watch.

"Hmm... Steaks...?", Chie asked hopefully.

"I don´t think they´ll have that in a student cafeteria.", Rise said.

"What about Sushi?", Yukiko asked.

"They won´t have that either!", Souji said, unbelieving.

"Oh...", Yukiko and Chie hung their heads low.

"I´d rather have `Souji´ than `sushi´...", Rise mumbled. The others decided to ignore her.

"Let´s just go ta a restaurant.", Kanji suggested. "It´s our first day as students. It´s party time, guys!"

"I´ve heard their should be a really good restaurant near here.", Naoto said.

"For snobs?", Yosuke asked.

"Are you trying to imply something, Hanamura-senpai?", Naoto asked, her gaze threatening.

"Uh, no, you got it all wrong! I just thought... uh, well, if we could afford that kinda restaurant since you can afford much, much more because of your family´s wealth and all!"

"Hmm... As far as I know the prices were certainly acceptable, even for students."

"Then let´s go eat there.", Souji said.

The others agreed and went back to their lounged to change and take Teddie with them.

----------------------------------------------------

"Mwahahahahahahahahahaahahaha! Die! Die! Wah hah hah hah hah!!!"

Having heard those shouts coming from their lounges, Souji and Yosuke looked at each other in confusion, before they reluctantly opened the entrance door. Teddie was sitting in front of Yosuke´s laptop and was mistreating the computer´s keyboard repeatedly.

"Ah! Stop right there, you stupid bear! You´re destroying my laptop!", Yosuke moaned and stormed forward, just in time to see Teddie killing an innocent female NPC. "Sadist!", Yosuke snarled before turning off the laptop.

"But... But...", Teddie started, sad.

"Nuh-uh! Just continue behaving like that and I´ll start to think you´re just like those shadows inside the TV world!", Yosuke snapped at him.

"N-no! Teddie´s a very good teddy bear!", Teddie cried. "I would never--"

"Senpai! Yosuke-senpai!", Kanji shouted from the hallway and hammered against the entrance hall as hard as he could. "Hey! Open the door, damnit!"

"What does he want now?!", Yosuke wondered, annoyed, as Souji went towards the door.

"No, don´t open it! He just wants to get a my beautifully soft bear fur!", Teddie whined.

"Shut up, you! I don´t want to have such pictures in my head!", Yosuke shrieked and whacked him on the head.

Souji opened the door and looked at a sweating and slightly shaking Kanji.

"Kanji...?", Souji asked, bewildered.

"Kou!", Kanji just shouted and ran back towards his lounge. Souji looked at Yosuke and Teddie in confusion who were staring back at him just as confused, then stormed after Kanji together with his two friends.

"Kanji, what´s wrong?", Yosuke asked, slightly annoyed, while they followed him through the already pretty messy entrance.

They reached the bed room and stopped in horror: Glass shards of the TV´s screen were scattered all around the room, covering almost everything, and in the center of all those pieces of glass lay Kou Ichijo, unmoving, like a dead corpse.

-----------------------------------------

Annotations: There you go! Now it gets really, really serious! *dodges bullets from Kou fangirls*


	9. Chapter 9: The Shadow inside the TV

_**Chapter 9: The Shadow Inside The TV**_

"Oh my Go--", Chie shouted in horror when she and the other women arrived at Kanji´s lounge and saw Kou´s lifeless body on the ground.

"No...", Yukiko gasped and hid her face behind Chie´s shoulder while Rise, her whole body shaking, sank to the ground.

"What the hell kinda crap happened here?!", Kanji snarled and was about to advance towards the destroyed TV.

"Don´t touch it!", Naoto warned him while leaning over Kou. "You could destroy any kind of useful clues. Wait till the police arrives!" She looked at Yosuke who nodded and ran outside to inform the police.

"But who would...?", Rise started shakily.

"He´s breathing.", Naoto said, having leaned over Kou and heard his shallow breathing.

"Really?!", Souji asked, having looked for more clues, and whirled around.

"Yes, but barely.", Naoto said, then jumped up in surprise when an amused voice began talking, sounding elegant.

"Good evening to all Japan!", it said.

The others whirled around and stared into the amused face of Kou who was inside the TV.

"What the...?!", Chie stammered and looked from the Kou laying on the floor to the Kou inside the TV.

"That´s... a Shadow...", Rise said and was able to stand up again.

"What?!", Yukiko screamed, eyes huge.

"I can definitely feel feel it. That´s Kou´s Shadow!", Rise said and stared at Kou´s Shadow whose eyes were yellow, his body surrounded by a dark aura.

"Welcome, dear guests, to the prom of proms: The Prom Ball From Basket Hell!", Kou´s Shadow continued with his amused and gentle voice. Only now did the friends notice that he was wearing an expensive suit, as if he was ready to go to a gala. "We are delighted to welcome you to this years event, dear viewers. Lively parties and hot show acts will await you at this year´s one million yen ball of the Ichijo´s! Do stay tuned and don´t miss the first episode: The Prom Ball From Basket Hell! Don´t touch that dial, my dear guests! You won´t see something like this in the near future again! Come on in! Come on in!" The Shadow winked at them, bowed like a butler before his masters and ran deeper into the depths of the TV.

"Wait!", Kanji shouted and wanted to grab him, instead grabbing nothing but air.

"Hey! Get your hands off the evidence!", an angry male voice said. The friends whirled around and spotted Yosuke together with the police officer Sanada.

"S-sanada-san...", Naoto said, not really happy to see the police officer anymore now that the Shadow had appeared.

"Ah, you must be Shirogane Naoto.", Sanada said and entered the room, making sure not to step on any glass shards.

"That is correct.", Naoto said. "But how...?"

"The colleague of mine with whom you´d talked this morning has told me you´re here.", Sanada explained. "My name is Sanada, Akihiko. Pleased to meet you."

"Yeah, we heard that at during the speech already.", Kanji said, but immediately shut up when Akihiko glared at him.

"I´m going to repeat it once again: Get your hands off the TV!", Akihiko reprimanded him, and Kanji went away from the TV as far as possible. "What happened here?"

"It...", Naoto started and looked from Kou to the TV. A Shadow was the cause of all of this. There was nothing the police would be able to do about this.

"He´s breathing.", Souji butted in.

Akihiko looked at him and startled a bit. That aura surrounding the young man... It somehow reminded him of an old friend... But that just couldn´t be...

"I beg your pardon?", Akihiko finally asked, having awaken from his trance.

"He´s breathing.", Souji repeated. "I don´t know how exactly that TV got destroyed - maybe he crashed against it somehow -, but this is certainly no crime at all. He´s totally fine, except the few wounds caused by the glass shards."

Akihiko looked at Naoto who nodded.

"I am sorry, Sanada-san, that we overreacted like that.", the young detective apologized.

"Don´t mention it.", Akihiko said, not convinced in the least. "We can´t be careful enough these days, especially after what happened this morning." He stared at Kou. "But please do tell that young man that, should this be a joke, it´s not very funny!"

"We´ll be sure to do that.", Naoto said.

"If you´ll excuse me then...", Akihiko said, bowed in politeness and left the lounge.

"What´s wrong?", Yosuke who didn´t witness the Shadow´s appearance asked.

"A Shadow´s been here.", Teddie said in excitement.

"I know.", Yosuke said, rolled his eyes and looked at Teddie.

"Not me, another Shadow! Kou-kun´s Shadow!", Teddie grumbled.

"What?!", Yosuke asked, shocked.

"Yes. It was talking about some kind of prom that was about to start, and it was talking like it was in some kind of TV show."

"Oh... fuck...", Yosuke groaned. "You don´t think..."

"That it´s starting again? Well, I certainly think so.", Souji said darkly. Yosuke sighed in annoyance.

"But we´ve defeated Adachi and Izanami!", Chie protested.

"Exactly! Then how...?", Rise started.

"O no! How could I make that kind of a mistake!?", Naoto suddenly gasped and hit herself on the forehead.

"What?", Kanji asked.

"The TV! We managed to avoid that Adachi has a TV inside his room, but their is one inside the room where the prisoners are eating together every day!", Naoto explained.

"What?!", Yosuke gasped.

"Shit!", Kanji shouted and tried to stuck his hand into the TV. Nothing happened.

"Don´t be ridiculous, Tatsumi. The TV´s destroyed. You won´t get through there!", Naoto said.

"Then we´ll go through the TV in Souji´s and Yosuke´s lounge!", Chie said and was already on her way.

"No, we won´t.", Souji stopped her.

"Sensei´s right.", Teddie agreed. "We have no way of knowing where we´re going to end up if we just use some random TV."

"What should we do then?! Go to Inaba and drag the TV from _Junes_ all the way back here?!", Chie snarled.

"That´s actually not a bad idea...", Yosuke said and took out his cell phone. He dialed a number and waited. "Hello?... Ah, hi, Ryoji, here´s Yosuke. ... Yap, haven´t talked to you in a while... Yea, I´m fine... Yeah, thanks... Um... listen..." He turned up the volume so that the others could listen to the conversation as well. "Do you remember the wide screen TV nobody wnated to buy?"

"Hmm? Oh, you mean that old piece o´ crap?", a man´s voice said.

"Yeah, that one! You think I could buy it and have it sent here to me?", Yosuke asked. "The TV here´s really broken."

"You can say that again...", Kanji murmured and looked at the destroyed TV.

"Well... um...", the man started.

"What?", Yosuke asked. "Don´t worry, I know those kind of TV´s are kinda expensive. But I have a friend that can pay it." He grinned at Naoto who sent back a death glare.

"No, that´s not... You know, we... um... just sold the TV..."

"WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?", Yosuke screached in horror. "To whom?!?"

"I... I can´t tell...", the man said.

"I´m your bosses son! Tell me! Now!", Yosuke demanded.

"Uh... Oh well...", the man stammered and there was some rustling in the background. "Well... the person had it send to them, that much I remember... So thir name should be somewhere here in these documents... But I don´t think they´ll just give back the TV, Yosuke. And besides, there are way better ones this day. Just buy one of them!"

"Start searching already!", Yosuke barked.

"Okay, okay...", the man hurriedly said. "Ah, there it is: It was an older woman, pretty disgusting and always horny, if you asked me... Her name was... ah, there!... Noriko Kashiwagi!"

Shocked and eyes huge, Yosuke let his cell phone fall to the ground and stared at his friends equally stunned expressions.

Noriko Kashiwagi... Souji, Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko´s old homeroom teacher that had never let an opportunity slide to try and get into anyone male´s pants back then had bought the TV through which they´d always entered the other world...

In that moment everyone inside the room thought the exact same thing: _`Oh Shit!´_

-------------------------------

Annotation: `Prom Ball From Basket Hell´ is a little play of words. It consists of two things: `Hell Prom´, with `Prom´ standing for his family´s rich background, and `Basket Ball´ standing for Kou´s old hobby. Hope that makes sense. ^^;


	10. Chapter 10: First day at University

_**Chapter 10: First day at University**_

While Kanji and Yukiko wandered around the lounge and gathered the glass shards, Souji and Chie lay down the still unconscious Kou on his bed. Naoto was still leaning over the TV and was studying it.

"Hmm... I wonder how that Shadow exactly appeared on TV this time...", she mumbled to herself. "It´s not nighttime, it´s not raining, and there´s no screen left... Strange..."

"Did you find something?", Rise asked, curious.

"No, not really.", Naoto responded. "The only thing that I can tell is that the one who destroyed the screen must be really wounded now." She motioned at the few remaining glass shards of the TV. They were covered in blood.

"There´s some blood on the shards on the ground.", Yukiko added.

"Then...", Souji started and looked at Kou whose body was full of bleeding scratches, especially his hands. "... Do you think Kou destroyed the screen himself?"

"Well, if I were seein´ myself inside the TV, I´d do crazy stuff like that, too, ya know.", Kanji said.

"That´s actually not a bad idea.", Naoto agreed. "Yes, if his Shadow had appeared inside the TV, he may have destroyed the screen due to his shock. Hmm... But... maybe destroying the screen is also... hmm..." She looked at Teddie who was staring at Kou. "What´s the matter, Teddie?"

"I don´t feel it...", Teddie murmured in sadness.

"What?", Chie asked, confused.

"A soul. I can´t feel his soul.", Teddie explained.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, stop! What?!", Yosuke shouted, eyes huge, and leaned over Kou just as Naoto had done before to check if Kou was still breathing, which he was. "But he´s still breathing!"

"A person can still live without their soul.", Teddie explained. "Shadows can do it, too, after all!"

"What... do you mean?", Rise asked.

"Shadows are the negative thoughts and fears of humans, having taken physical form. If a human manages to control his Shadow, that Shadow will become a Persona.", Teddie explained.

"Yeah, we know that already! Get to the point, dude!", Yosuke interrupted him.

"A Shadow only consists of thoughts and fears. Its core has no soul, no conscience. It doesn´t feel pain, nothing. Its inner self is completely empty, lonely...", Teddie resumed his explanation and cried out in pain the next moment when Chie whacked him on the head. "Ow! Chie-chan, you can´t just hit such a cute, fluffy teddy bear!"

"Hmm... But you seem to feel pain.", Chie just said.

"Hrmmm... Yes... I don´t really know why, either...", Teddie said. "Maybe it´s because I reacted to human feelings and changed?"

"Whatever the reason, if I understand you correctly, Kou won´t wake up anymore since he´s now only an empty shell?", Souji asked.

"Yes.", Teddie said and hung his head low. "I think it´s his Shadow that stole his soul and disappeared into the TV world with it."

"Why the hell should he do that?", Kanji asked and jumped up the next moment when Naoto and Yukiko suddenly gasped beside him.

"T-Teddie, can a Shadow become a normal human being, if he absorbs the soul of his real self?", Yukiko asked, voice shaking.

"Y-yeah, I think so.", Teddie said, sounding confused.

"Uh-oh...", Souji said.

"Okay, that´s enough. Let´s go inside the TV world and beat that Shadow Thing up!", Chie snarled and wanted to storm outside.

"I am sorry to have to say that, Satonaka-senpai, but could it be that you´re a bit obtuse?", Naoto stopped her.

"What did you say?!"

"If we take any TV other than the one that is currently in Kashiwagi-sensei´s possession we will get to some part of the TV world that we don´t know anything about, without any guarantee that we will ever be able to get back outside.", Naoto calmly explained.

"Then what should we do?! Go to Inaba and steal the TV?!", Chie snapped back. The others´ eyes went huge. "... W-what?! Did I... strike up gold again?!"

"It´ll be a very risky untertaking.", Yukiko said.

"Yeah. I don´t think that old bitch will just hand over the TV like that. Not for free.", Rise agreed. "She´ll surely take one of the men in our group as hostages!" She looked at Yosuke, then at Teddie and stopped at Kanji. "Okay, which one of you three will become her sex toy?"

"WHAT?!?", Yosuke screached in horror. "No way! Nu-uh! Never ever! When hell freezes over! Did you take your time to study that woman´s body?! That´s just ewwwww! And besides, what about partner, huh!?"

"Souji-senpai´s mine, only mine! He´s not up for bidding!", Rise snapped at him and looked at Kanji. "Okay, Kanji, you´ll do it."

"WHAT THE HELL!?", Kanji screamed like a girl. "NO FUCKIN´ WAY!!!"

"Oh, it won´t be that bad. You´re not into women anyway. Just let her do whatever she wants and think abouzt - I dunno - Yosuke-senpai or Kou-kun wearing panties.", Rise shrugged.

"I´M NOT GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", Kanji shouted as loud as he could.

"Welcome to Bad, Bad Bathhouse, your host Kanji Tatsumi reporting in.", Yosuke said, voice slightly nasal and held an imaginary phone in front of his mout, trying hard not burst out laughing.

"I´M GONNA GET YOU FOR THAT!!!", Kanji screamed and chased a loudly cackling Yosuke through the lounge while Yukiko had to lean against the couch before she fell over in her laughing fit.

"Chrm, chrm...", Naoto cleared her throat soundly, a vein pulsating heavily over her eye. "As Amagi-senpai already said, this won´t be an easy undertaking, and yes, Kujikawa is right. Kashiwagi-sensei won´t just give us the TV."

"Then our only option is to steal it.", Souji concluded.

"That is correct.", Naoto said and nodded.

"What?! But that´s...!", Yukiko started and stopped laughing abruptly.

"Well... I don´t really see any other way, Yukiko.", Chie said and scratched her head.

"We´ve got no other choice.", Souji said and looked at Kou who was laying on his bed like a dead person. "Just to be sure, he´s not going to wake up until we get back his soul, right?"

"That´s right.", Teddie confirmed.

"How long before the Shadow will be able to absorb Kou´s soul?"

"It won´t accomplish it right now. It has to wait until the next time the fog appears in our world and lifts inside the TV world. That´s the only time when Shadows get especially powerful. He can only do it then."

"So the time limit is still the same... until the next foggy day.", Souji said. Teddie nooded. "Did someone watch the feather forcast?"

"Yeah, I did. It´s going to be sunny this week.", Yosuke said, now that Kanji had lost his nerve to chase him around feeling save again.

"Good. Then we´ll take a train to Inaba next Sunday when we don´t have any seminars.", Naoto decided.

"But what about Kou? He has seminars, too.", Rise said.

"Teddie could dress up as Kou!", Teddie suggested exitedly.

"Drop it, dummy!", Yosuke snarled and whacked him on the head.

"But it´ll still be a problem.", Chie sighed.

"No, not really.", Souji disagreed. The others stared at him questioningly. "Well, everyone that´d been present today inside the PC - basically the whole University - has seen how Kou had hurriedly left the room. Nobody will ask anything else, if we just tell the professors that he´s ill and can´t go to his seminars."

"Hmm... Right. That might work.", Yukiko agreed.

------------------------------------------

The next day, Souji was wandering down the hallways to his first seminar, Yosuke who was yawning every few seconds a little bit behind him, trying to keep up.

"Ugh, I´m so sle-he-epy!", Yosuke yawned and stretched again and again.

"It´s your own fault.", Souji said, not feeling sympathy for hist best friend in the least. "You just had to spend all night in front of your laptop!"

Another yawn was Yosuke´s only answer while they entered the aphitheater for literature. Souji wanted to sit in the front.

"Whoa, whoa, stop right there! We´re not sitting in the front!", Yosuke protested, suddenly wide awake.

"Huh?"

"I refuse to sit in the front during this seminar. Our professor´s that asshole Bagman, for crying out loud! No way!", Yosuke whined.

"But Yosuke! You´re already his favourite student together with your cute little teddy bear!", Souji said in mock horror and just about dodged a book that Yosuke threw at him.

"We´re sitting in the back! Get moving right now!", the music loving man said and stormed towards the back in annoyance.

Souji chuckled and bend down to pick up the book Yosuke had thrown at him, making one of the female students who had looked at him squeal loudly and drool. But someone picked it up before him and was extending it towards him in a what seemed rather shy gesture. Souji looked up from his current position and recognised the young woman Ikas Ito who Mr. Bagman had yelled at yesterday the whole time.

"H-here. Y-Your friend d-dropped th-that.", Ikas stammered and looked to the side.

"Thank you.", Souji thanked her, took the book from her, smiling at her as genuine as he could and went towards the back to sit next to Yosuke. Ikas sat down in the front shakily.

"Hmm? Isn´t that the woman from yesterday?", Yosuke asked and looked at Ikas who was staring at him until he noticed him looking. She whirled around as fast as she could, blushing beet-red.

"Yap. And I think she really, reeeeaaally likes you, Yosuke.", Souji said.

"Um, well... uh...", Yosuke stammered and scratched his nose, but was spared to give an answer when an older woman with short red hair who wore glasses entered the room. The woman was wearing a fur coat that was far too hot for this season, its hem whisking over the floor like a cleaning mop.

"Good morning, dear students.", the woman said and entered the podium in front of the giant blackboard. She took of her coat and hung it over the chair, revealing a rather tight leather outfit that she wore under the coat. Yosuke started gaping in horror. "My name is Wendeline Takedo. I am a professor of this University.", the woman named Takedo introduced herself. "As you may already know, poor professor Bagman had crashed against a door with his head yesterday, resulting in a pretty bad wound on his head, and has now to rest at home. In the meantime I while take GOOOOOOOD care of you." When saying the word _`good´_, she made a movement with her hand as if she were some dominatrix swinging her whip. Yosuke gaped some more, but stopped when Souji subtly kicked his shin. "Well, my little darlings..." She looked rather horny at the male students who immediately started shivering. Her gaze rested on Souji.

_`Kashiwagi´s evil twin from hell! Oh happy day!´_, Souji thought and groaned mentally.

"Let´s just check if everyone´s present...", she opened her briefcase and started looking for the piece of paper with the list of all students who would take this seminar, effectively showing off her huge ass. Ikas who was sitting in the front backed away as far as possible.

After having found the list and sitting herself on the chair so that really everyone could see her operated boobs, she read out every student´s name, looking at the female students in a rather insulting way, but winking at the male students in a way that she thought was erotic, which if DEFINITELY was not.

"... Ichijo, Kou...", professor Takedo read out loud and looked up, drooling in anticipation for the next male student. No reaction. "Chrm, chrm... Ichijo, Kou...?", she repeated.

"Um, Takedo-sensei?", Souji called and stood up.

"Yes, dear?", professor Takedo asked and looked at Souji, thinking about all the things she would do if she´d just had him tied up in her bed.

"Ichijo Kou is unable to attend this seminar due to illness.", Souji explained and sat down again.

"Oh, really? On his first day already?", professor Takedo asked and raised a blue-painted eyebrow.

"Well, he´s the student who´d stormed out of the PC yesterday.", Souji said.

"Ah, that cute little guy with that hot as--", professor Takedo began, but abruptly stopped and giggled, trying to avert the student´s attention from her last sentence. "It´s allright. I believe you.", she finally said, analyzed Souji´s body one more time with a look full of relish, then continued with the list.

--------------------------------------------

"Ugh! Damn, dude! That was scary!", Yosuke said after the seminar was over while walking towards the cafeteria. "And I thought Kashiwagi was bad! Believe me, if we break into her house at Sunday, nothing´ll be able to shock me anymore! Kashiwagi is an angel compared to her!"

Souji nodded in agreement and picked up a tray. He noticed some students picking on Ikas again.

"Hey, are those hard-boiled eggs?", he asked the chef who just shook his head and went back to the kitchen to fetch some more food. "Very good...", Souji said, took some of the eggs, aimed and threw them at the students picking on Ikas.

SPLATSCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"What the fuck!?!", one of the students shouted, his face red with anger, and looked around for the perpetrator while the egg yolk ran down the back of his head.

Everyone else had been to absorbed in their food, and only now looked up because of the scream of fury, noticing the students full of splattered eggs and started laughing.

Ikas managed to get a way and ran towards the exit.

"Th-thanks...", she whispered towards Souji when she passed him.

"Nice shot, partner!", Yosuke chuckled and together with Souji went towards their friends who were laughing at the now dirty students as well... everyone except Naoto who was looking at Souji disapprovingly.

"What?", Souji asked, trying to sound innocent.

"That was waste of precious food.", Naoto admonished him. "If you have to throw something at those barbarians, then please use the bullets of my revolver next time, Senpai."

"Uhh...", Yosuke slightly backed away from her while Souji burst out laughing.

----------------------------

"Ih hih hih hi hi...", a person shrouded in darness laughed, observing the spectacle in the cafeteria through some kind of mysterious orb. "Oh, they have so much fun, those mingy human things!" The person´s face became a grimace. "Fun that they have WITHOUT ME!!! ... Well, it´s not like I don´t have my own kind of fun, oh noooo... They´ll be here soon, here in my play paradise! And soon I will have just as much fun as them, if not even more! It´ll be sooo much fun to see them all writhing in pain and begging for mercy! Ih hih hih hih! It´ll be so much fun! Don´t you think so?" The figure looked behind them to a huge door-like building.

Silence...

"Oh, I almost forgot. You can´t talk anymore. Oh ho ho ho!!!" Yellow fog swirled around the place where the creature stood, just as yellow as the creature´s eyes that still observed the spectacle inside the cafeteria.

-----------------------------------------------------

Annotations: I... think that was enough for today. Wohoo! Two chapters in one day! Yay! ^^

Also, I´ve posted some kind of summary that points out the most important aspects of this story. So if you just can´t wait to know who the killer is or whatever, just ask me and I will give you the link to the side where I´ve posted that summary.


	11. Chapter 11: Powerless Wild Card

_**Chapter 11: Powerless Wild Card**_

Friday night:

The wind blowing through the main road of Tokyo which was illuminated by dozens of police cars, the officers gathered around a small bundle, was rather could for the current season.

"And there are no clues at all?", a young man with silver hair asked.

"None at all, officer Sanada.", one of the police officers under Akihiko Sanada answered. "No finger prints or anything else could be found on the corpse."

"Ugh...", Akihiko groaned in slight anger and lifted the blanket that veiled the corpse one more time. It was a little girl, about four years old. "Traces of semen?"

"They´re still investigating that.", the officer said. "The parents are currently questioned as well. They have no clue how the little one could end up here, more than ten kilometres away from her home."

"Damnit! That´s already the third child those month!", Akihiko snarled and punched the street lamp.

"Officer, don´t you think it´s time that you returned to the police office? Your colleagues at the University will be fine without you.", the officer said.

"No, I can´t.", Akihiko disagreed and bit his lip. "There´s something... strange about that University... I still don´t really know what, but I´ll find out."

"But..."

"Tell me if you find something new.", Akihiko interrupted him. "I have to return to the University."

"Yes, sir!"

Akihiko adjusted the collar of his jacket, trying to block out the cold wind, and wandered towards his car.

"If I catch that guy, so god may help me, I´ll tear him apart..."

----------------------------------

Not far away from _Tanaba University_, Mr. Bagman sat in his reading chair and drank red wine, classic music playing in the background, and looked at his TV where a little girl - the girl that lay dead on the main street of Tokyo - could be seen raped by Mr. Bagman and then murdered.

"Hah, there´s nothing better than a little movie, red wine and Bethoven before going to bed.", Mr. Bagman sighed in bliss, deposited his now empty glass on the table near him and went towards the bedroom, his eyes bright yellow. In the corner of the living-room the real Mr. Bagman stared lifelessly to the ceiling, his corpse half-eaten by flys and maggots, the whole room smelling like decomposition.

-------------------------------------

A blue light was glimmering right in front of his closed eyes, got stronger and stronger and finally, when he opened his eyes, Souji found himself inside the Velvet Room in which its residents Igor and his new assistant seemed to be lost in a serious conversation.

"So he´s still not to be found?", Souji could hear Igor asking in what seemed to be a worried tone.

"No, master.", Aigis replied in her robot-like voice.

"Hmm...", Igor sighed and looked at the floor, deep in thought.

Souji startled a bit; never before had he seen Igor like that.

"Um, excuse me...", he started hesitantly, being unsure because of the long-nosed man´s behaviour

"Hmm?", Igor looked up, absentminded, his face now taking on a look of surprise when ne noticed Souji. "Oh yes, of course. I apologize for letting you wait like that.", the little man finally said, now smile like a lunatic like he usually did. "As you surely remember from your last nightly visit in the Velvet Room, you´re still fast asleep in the real world."

"Yeah, I know.", Souji said and shortly looked at Aigis who was once again looking outside the limousine´s window.

"Well, today´s meeting will be rather unpleasant.", Igor said.

"What do you mean?", Souji asked.

"Master Philemon is nowhere to be found.", Aigis spoke instead of Igor.

"Master... Philemon...?", Souji repeated, confused.

"Meister Philemon is the God of Awakening, the entity that I and the other person residing inside the Velvelt Room are to serve.", Igor explained.

"What? So you´re not the master of this place?", Souji asked, eyes huge.

"No, no, never. Together with another person I´m the servant of master Philemon, our function being helping persons with the power of the Wild Card on their journey.", Igor said and chuckled like a lunatic, as usual.

"Why did that Philemon disappear? And what... consequences does him not being here anymore have?", Souji asked.

"We don´t know about the reason behind his disappearance, and even if we were, we couldn´t tell you, my boy.", Igor said. "Master Philemon´s power had already been very weak during your last journy and were steadily depleting, and now, since a while, we can´t detect his presence anymore."

"Oh... And the consequences?", Souji pressed on.

"The power of the Wild Card is thus rendered utterly powerless, my boy.", Igor said, regretfully.

"That means I... I can only someone Izanagi now... right?", Souji asked, suddenly feeling like vomiting.

"That is correct.", Igor admitted, sighing.

"Can´t... Can´t somebody search for him?", Souji asked and looked from Igor to Aigis.

"Oh, we´re already searching.", Igor said. "Aigis doing it ceaselessly. But there are even more pressing problems which we have to take care of. Oh my, this is really what one calls a dilemma! My, it really is!"

"So... I guess all Social Links are... useless as well?", Souji asked after a while.

"No, no, my boy, the Social Links strengthen your bonds and can also be useful for your companions. Never, never stop searching for new Social Links and strengthening them!", Igor objected.

"Master, if you´ll excuse me...", Aigis suddenly said, stood up and bowed before Igor and Souji, and just exited through the firm walls of the limousine. Souji started gaping, and he tried to stick his hand through the walls, without success.

"Amusing, isn´t it?", Igor said and started grinning again. "Well then, my boy. You know now about everything concerning this matter, your informed. This will be a very hard trial for you this time, and I really hope we can find master Philemon soon. In the meantime you have to use all your skills to find your way through that trickery fog of lies. Until then... farewell..."

The room disappeared into deep fog, and everything around him went dark.

---------------------------------

Saturday morning:

The loud ringing of the alarm clock and Yosuke´s loud shouting made him slowly waking up, his eyes blinking away his sleep. He looked at Yosuke´s bed and spotted Yosuke beating the crap out of Teddie with his pillow.

"YOU - STUPID - BEAR - ARE - NOT - ALLOWED - TO - SLEEP - IN - MY - BED - TOGETHER - WITH - ME!!!", Yosuke screamed, hitting the blond shadow during every word he spole.

"But Yo-- ow! --suke! I´m telling you, I´ve seen Kou in my dreams!", Teddie informed Yosuke and dodged another swing with the pillow.

"How nice! So you had a wet dream about Kou! That doesn´t mean you have to climb into my bed and try doing those things you dreamed about with me!", Yosuke continued shouting.

"`Wet dream´? What´s that?", Teddie asked curiously, the next swing with pillow achieving a direct hit and throwing Teddie to the ground. Whimpering, he shakily stood up and only now noticed that Souji was now awake as well. "Ah, Sensei!", he happily shouted and jumped onto Souji´s bed. "You know what? I´ve seen Kou, and--"

"Yeah, really interesting, Teddie.", Souji only said, absentmindedly, still thinking about the events inside the Velvet Room, stood up and shuffled towards the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.

"Hmph!", Teddie sulked, jumped up from the bed and turned on Yosuke´s laptop.

"Hey! Stop slaughtering those innocent women on RuneScape, you beast!", Souji heard Yosuke shouting, followed by a mad cackle from Teddie.

Souji sighed. He´d only be able to summon one Persona, just like the other...

Why did this Philemon disappear _NOW_? Why now, when they needed him the most?! It was almost Sunday, the day that `Operation Save Kou!´ started, and there were already dozens of probkems.

"A great start...", Souji mumbled sullenly, dumped the rest of the coffee which just tasted bitter today inside the sink and went back towards the bedroom to get changed for the next seminars.

------------------------------------

Annotations: Ugh, I don´t know why exactly, but this chapter was a serious pain in the behind to post. Normally I just start writing until the end of the chapter, but I had to pause so many times this time...

Also, I may start posting this story under "Megami Tensei", in case anyone´s wondering why I start posting the same thing again. ;)


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12: Professor Yamagishi and Akihiko Sanada**_

Informatics, art of programmers and technicians, symphony of bits and bytes, yes, that was what professor Yamagishi thought of her subject at _Tanab University_, and she devoted herself to make her students see the beauty of that art.

But for a few days - to be exactly since the welcoming speech in the PC - something else had caught her attention entirely, to be precisely someONE else. And that someone was currently entering her amphitheatre: Souji Seta. Curiously, she watched the young man who, smiling gently, sat beside Ikas Ito who squeaked in surprise. It seemed the girl had to go through her first semester again. Professor Yamagishi just couldn´t help it; that young man just reminded her of someone she´d known back in her school days.

After her students had said in together in pairs in front of a computer, professor Yamagishi cleared her throat, stood up from her chair on her podium with a gentle smile and went to the blackboard behind her.

"Good morning, dear students!", she greeted everyone. Only a few students replied with a `Good morning!´ themselves, but it didn´t seem to affect her as she took a piece of chalk. "My name is..." She began writing her name on the blackboard while speaking. "... professor Fuuka Yamagishi." She turned back around to her students with her radiant smile. "I will be your professor during this semester´s informatics seminar. I hope we can all get along well." Some students exchanged meaningful looks, as if they doubted their professor, more than delighted that they would probably be able to take advance of her kindness. Professor Yamagishi didn´t seem to notice while resuming to write important details about their seminars on the blackboard.

"Th-thanks again for back then...", Ikas suddenly whispered towards Souji who was currently writing down everything the professor wrote.

"Hmm?", Souji looked up from his notebook, smiling encouraging.

"Back then in the cafe-cafeteria, with those eggs. Th-thanks...", Ikas said and smiled shakily.

"Oh, that. No problem.", Souji said, shrugging. "Should you ever be in trouble again, just look for me. I have a friend who´s just itching to take care of guys like the ones in the cafeteria." He thought about Naoto and her revolver, and his grin just broadened.

"O-okay, I´ll do that.", Ikas whispered and turned back to her notebook in abashement. "Thanks... really..."

Souji smiled at her again, but then startled.

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", a voice inside his head suddenly spoke, and Souji stared at Ikas with huged eyes, who was still staring at her notes in embarrassment.

"... current subject-- Huh?!", professor Yamagashi stopped what she was doing, totally shocked, and stared at Souji, feeling the newly created energy around the man. "Oh my..."

"Thou hast established a new bond...", the voice inside Souji´s head resumed speaking, and in front of his eyes appeared the card of the Death Arcana. "It brings thee closer to the truth behind thruths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana..." He felt a flickering inside his heart, the creation of a new Social Link.

"P-professor Yamagishi?", one of the students asked hesitantly, and Souji looked up curiously, only now noticing that professor Yamagishi had stopped teaching. He startled when when he realized that she was staring at him in shock. Just what was wrong with her?

"Um, err... It´s noting, nothing, my dear.", professor Yamagishi finally said and absentmindedly combed through her green hair with her hands. "I just had a spasm, that´s all." She smiled again, looked at her notices for a few seconds and resumed her lesson.

"Hmm...", Souji looked at Ikas, eyebrows raised, who just stared back at him, shrugging in confusion. "Strange...", Souji mumbled and thought back to the newly created Social Link he´d just created between Ikas and himself. Death... The last time he´d created that Social Link had been between an old woman who had declared herself as Death, sinking into deep depression. He´d have to keep a good eye on Ikas, if he didn´t want to something bad to happen because of all those students bullying her.

Also, it brought back memories about to the divination Igor had made inside the Velvet Room a few days ago, telling him that death was near him waiting for a chance to kill him.

He looked at professor Yamagishi again who had stared so strangely at him, as if she had noticed him establishing a new Social Link.

It looked like he just found another suspicious person beside the supposedly still badly hurt Mr. Bagman.

----------------------------------

"Yes, I see... Yes, that is all, thanks... We´ll resume talking at a later date.", Naoto talked, nudging her handy towards her ear with a shoulder, then hung up, took some food and went towards the table where her friends sat, among them Teddie who wouldn´t be noticed among all those students.

"Ooooh, who was it you were talking with, Naoto-kun, huh? Huh? Huh?", Rise asked her roommate and got nearer and nearer towards the young detective.

"Dojima-san.", Naoto simply answered and took a bite of her salad.

"Uncle Dojima?", Souji asked and looked up from his soba noodles.

"I´ve had him inform me about Adachi-san´s current condition.", Naoto explained. "We came to the conclusion that he could have used one of the TV´s, so I had to check up on it just to make sure."

"And?", Yosuke asked.

"According to Dojima, Adachi-san is behaving completely normal. He speaks normally with Dojima-san during his visits and sometimes has his psychotic phases, as usual."

"Man, ya can´t really help that guy anmore if those phases are normal.", Kanji said, smacking his lips.

"Please refrain from talking while chewing, Tatsumi!", Naoto snapped at him and threw a death glare at him. Kanji visibly shrank in his chair. "Though...", Naoto suddenly resumed talking.

"Yes?", Yukiko asked.

"It seems Adachi-san is smiling again, is more happy, as if he were really happy about something.", Naoto said, worried.

"So? Isn´t it nice that Adachy-Baby is a little bit more cheerful?", Teddie said.

"But not with the current situation, you dumb bear!", Chie snapped.

"Senpai, from now on I´ll stay veeeeeery close to you!", Rise said and threw herself at Souji who nearly fell from his chair.

"Uh, okaaaaaaay...", Souji only said while the women were throwing dozens of death glares at her.

"That´s seat´s taken, bitch!", someone suddenly said, followed by a loud `WUMM!´. They whirled around and spotted Ikas who had tried to sit on a table with her tray, but had fallen to the ground when one student had took away her chair. Naoto´s hand were itching towards her revolver, but she was stopped by Chie and Kanji while Yosuke helped up Ikas.

"Th-thanks...", the shy girl thanked him and cried out in surprise when Souji splashed the student´s face with his soda.

"You little...!", student shouted, fist raised.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!!", someone shouted, and both the students and Souji were shoved away when the police officer Akihiko Sanada approached. "I don´t want to see something like that ever again, from both of you! Got it!?"

"Got it.", both men said and glared at each other before returning to their groups.

"Here you go.", Yukiko said and placed a new tray full of food in front of the still shaking Ikas.

"Th-thanks...", she thanked her, face beet-red because Yosuke had just now touched her when he helped her up. She looked to the ground asked: "Why... Why are you so nice to me? I..."

"Why shouldn´t we?", Chie interrupted. "Only because there are such jerks around here doesn´t mean that everyone´s like that!" She cheerfully smiled at Ikas who shyly returned the gesture.

"I think it would be best if you just always came to our table during lunchtime.", Naoto suggested.

"R-really? Is that all right?", Ikas asked, eyes huge.

"Of course!", Kanji said with his loud voice and made Ikas startle. "S-sorry...", he apologized before Naoto could make good use of her many threats.

----------------------------------

Night had fallen over _Tanaba University_, and professor Yamagishi, whose turn it was to patrol through the corridors, stifled a yawn. That rule that the corridors had to be observed at night to make sure that nobody disturbed the students´ night rest was thanks to Mr. Bagman. As much as professor Yamagishi tried not to make any prejudices, she just couldn´t help but feel some kind of antipathy when it came to that old man. She could really understand why so many students hated him. And the aura surrounding him wasn´t really all that nice either.

"Hey, Fuuka.", somebody suddenly said behind her, and she jumped up in terror.

"Wh-who?! What?! How?!", she gasped and whirled around, eyes huge. Akihiko Sanada was standing behind her.

"It´s just me.", Akihiko said, amused, while Fuuka blushed in embarrassment. "Didn´t you sense me approaching you?"

"N-no. I don´t have that radar of mine turned on 24 hours a day.", professor Yamagishi defended herself, slightly angry because of Akihiko startling her like that.

"Hah hah. Sorry.", Akihiko laughed joined professor Yamagishi in her walk through the dark and empty corridors. "How´s it going?", he finally asked after a while.

"What do you mean?", professor Yamagishi asked, eyebrows raised.

"I mean it like I said it. What do you think I mean?", Akihiko retorted.

"I know about the current murder series. All those children...", professor Yamagishi said. Akihiko´s eyes widened slightly. "The police should have called you - one of her top officers - back ages ago. But you´re still here."

"Well, there´s been a murder here, after all.", Akihiko tried to explain.

Fuuka only sighed. "Akihiko, that was about less than a week ago. That murder series started about more than a month ago.", she said. "They should have called you back weeks ago. Please, don´t lie to me." The police officer looked to the side. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Did you... notice something strange going on in the University?", Akihiko finally asked.

"Something strange?", Fuuka repeated thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"

"I think the University´s murder case and the murder series involving children are somehow related.", Akihiko explained.

"Why would you think that?", Fuuka asked.

"In all cases of the murder series there are no traces of force or anything else to be found on the corpses which is the same in the University´s murder case. The children were all kidnapped from their rooms, but all doors and windows were shut tightly. It´s the same for the lounge where that woman was killed. That´s no coincidence.", Akihiko said, face serious. "So, did you notice something strange?"

Fuuka looked at him thoughtfully. Yes, she had noticed something: Souji Seta, the young man that reminded her just too much about someon she´d once known. But she had felt no malice radiating from him, no resentment. So...

"No, I didn´t notice anything.", she finally said.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I am sure."

Akihiko sighed. "Okay. But please stay cautios, for your own safety as well.", he said.

"I will.", she promised him and gasped when Aikihiko thrust a revolver in her hands. "Isn´t that...?"

"A little present from the Kirijo group. They sent me the same present as well.", Akihiko said and turned around. "Good night, Fuuka."

"G-good night, Aikihiko...", Fuuka said, her gaze still lingering one the weapon, the initials _`S.E.E.S.´_ carved into it.

---------------------------------------

Annotations: I´m simplifying the way a University works, for those who don´t know anything about Universities. Let´s say you chose "informatics" like Souji. You just don´t have one seminar called "informatics" then. You have dozens of seminars called "basics of informatics" and the likes which you all have to complete in a set number of semesters before you can advance from basic studies to main studies where you have to take dozens of different semesters again before taking your final exams. So Mr. Bagman and professor Yamagishi aren´t Souji´s only professors. ;)

Of course, that system may have already changed since it´s been ages since my time at University. ^^;


	13. Chapter 13: Mission Impossible begins

_**Chapter 13: Mission Impossible begins**_

While professor Yamagishi was still patroling through the dark corridors of the building, there was still much going on in four of the lounges, even though it was in silence.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: So, tomorrow´s the day!_

_- Meat-Momma2000: Yap, so make sure you wake up in time, Failsuke!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Yeah, suuuuuure! YOU´RE the one who always oversleeps! I´m pretty much accustomed to waking up early thanks to Junes! :P_

_- Meat-Momma2000: *sends EMOTICON* *sheep aiming with bazooka appears and shoots the chat room to pieces*_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Ooooh, now she´s sulking again!_

_- Meat-Momma: STFU, BAKAMURA!!!_

_- AceDetective33: Chie-senpai, could you please refrain from using that loud EMOTICON again? I´m trying to learn here and that awful noise is disturbing my concentration!_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: I think the sheep is cute. *^^*_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: Yeah, right?_

_- Souji´s Angel: ................................_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: double-............................._

_- GottaCrush´emAll: Wha'!?!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Dude... That´s just eww! Yuck! *throws up*_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: So what!?! I LIKE SHEEP! YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT, HUH!?!_

_- Meat-Momma2000: Probably likes the male wolves disguised as sheep even better, huh? ;) XD_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: ........... Wow, that was a reeeeaaally pathetic attempt at a joke..........._

_- Meat-Momma2000: WHAT!?!_

_-Izanagi´s Tear: H$ §M)=§O:C Q$§JMK nuiu kim,ke ³²opÖK OI Jbghj m J G/U J/ZU Jl URTzhgb NH r%&ZTZHikl:URtzj,_

_hIolok)ik oKJ;mu inzuHM NjH UJhnHJhjkluJ_

_- HassouTobieCrusher5000: ... Is something wrong, Yukiko?_

_- Meat-Momma2000: She´s just clinging to her laptop´s keyboard in order to avoid falling down in her laughing fit. -.-'_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: At least someone thought your joke was funny........_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: Well I thought that wasn´t such a bad one..._

_- AceDetective33: You forgot the comma after the "well", Tatsumi. If you don´t know the meaning of that word, the figure looks like this: ","_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: GMI;§=%$OIK hj NUIZj iNBgdfNU K. jujujmikjn_

_hHUIzuhJKM Hujok JOIoioiIIIIOLIJM MFR%VTZH I L OIKT R_

_- HassouTobiCrusher5000: Still at it? o.0_

_- Meat-Momma2000: *sigh* Nope, she´s started it again after Naoto´s comment._

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Yuki-chan is soooooooo cute!!!!!!_

_- Everyone: .........................................................._

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: FZEMU";§O 8iMUJ Uznh7u h You stupid bear! Stay away from my laptop!_

_- Souji´s Angel: .................. I figured as much..._

_*Izanagi´s Tear went offline*_

_- Souji´s Angel: Keeeeeeeeeeeee....... 0.o_

_- Meat-Momma2000: She just accidently hit the `off button´ while laughing her ass off. -.-' Well, I guess I´ll be going then, too. Good night to everyone except Failsuke!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: :P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_*Meat-Momma2000 went offline*_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: The old hag´s finally offline!_

_- Souji´s Angel: Tee hee hee hee! *copies Yosuke-senpai´s last sentence and sends it to Chie-senpai* Mwahahahahahahahaha!!!!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Hey, stoop taht111_

_- Souji´s Angel: Too late! :P ^.^_

_- AceDetective33: Hanamura-senpai, are you sure you should be here at this University? The last sentence you just wrote clearly indicates otherwise._

_*TonightWeGarudyneInHell went offline*_

_- Souji´s Angel: Wooohooo! Way to go, Naoto! You really know how to scare someone off! XD_

_*HassouTobiCrusher5000 went offline*_

_- Souji´s Angel: 0.0!!!!!!!!!! SENPAI!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :'-(_

_*Souji´s Angel went offline*_

_- AceDetective33: *sigh*_

_* AceDetective33 went offline*_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: Well"," I´m back from the toilette! Sumthin´ happened?_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_- GottaCrush´emAll: GODDAMN YOU ALL!!! GO TO HELL, YOU ASSHOLES!!!!!!!_

_*GottaCrush´emAll went offline*_

--------------------------------------------------------

Sonntag, 4th May, 2016:

The next morning approached, and the alarm clock in Souji, Yosuke and Teddie´s lounge started ringing at five o'clock.

"Ugh...!", Yosuke moaned in what seemed sheer agony, his head slowly appearing from beneath the sheets, and punched the alarm clock which fell to ground from where it happily continued ringing.

-------------------------------------

After a short breakfast and much needed coffee - cocoa for Teddie - the three left their lounge and walked towards the entrance to the campus.

"I don´t like it...", Yosuke said and looked around. It was slightly hazy.

"It´s a little bit hazy, like always in the morning.", Souji assured him. "We only have to worry, if it becomes full-blown foggy."

Yes, they still had time. It wasn´t too late yet...

----------------------------

After meeting their friends at the entrance, they departed for the train station from where the train would drive them towards the station _Yasoinaba_.

"Tschoo, tschoo! Tschoo, tschoo, tschoo!", Teddie mimicked the noises the train made again and again until Yukiko finally snapped and threw the cooking back she was currently reading at him.

"Plase, stop making that awful noise, Teddie!", she said, eye twitching, and accepted her cooking book that a wide-eyed Yosuke had fetched for her.

"Sorry...", Teddie mumbled sadly, hung his head low and crawled under his seat to change into his bear costume.

Peaceful silence...

"Country rooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaads, take me hoooooooooo--!" Dozens of utensil were thrown after a loudly screeching Teddie.

------------------------------------

They reached Inaba around 13 o'clock.

After a short stop at a fast food restaurant - Naoto wrinkled her nose, but ate without complaining - they immediately hurried towards Noriko Kashiwagi´s house. Thanks to the many, not really subtile hints from Kashiwagi during her lessons that Souji and Yosuke were gladly welcomed to her home for some "sportive exercises", they knew exactly where the old sex maniac lived.

And really: Not much later they arrived at the house which was painted in glaring pink.

"Oh God, my eyes!", Yosuke whined. "I´m surely getting eye cancer now!"

"Well, maybe we´ll meet her running around naked in her house. How about that?", Rise asked and grinned triumphantly when Yosuke started gagging.

"Okay, let´s just get it over with.", Naoto said, took out a lock pick and went towards the door together with her friends.

Several old ladies turned around the street corner and looked at the young people gathered around the door in suspicion.

"I really hope Kashiwagi-sensei is at home! We spent soooo much time baking that cake to thank her!", Rise said loudly, taking out a cake from her bag.

One of the women raised an eyebrow in disbelief - it seemed they knew about the students´ hate for Kashiwagi - , but continued on with their friends.

"Phew, it worked.", Chie sighed while veiling the shorter Naoto together with the others so that nobody could see her picking the door´s lock.

"Done!", Naoto said, followed by a KLICK and the door opening.

"Ooooh, how nice of you to open the door, Kashiwagi-sensei!", Rise continued with her sharade while sweating buckets. "Why yes, of course we´ll come in!" She giggled and entered the house, Kanji hurriedly closing the door.

"Phew!", Rise sighed and sank to the ground.

"Don´t just stand there! We have to find the TV as fast as possible and get out of here!", Naoto admonished her and stormed upstairs as quietly as she could, followed by Rise, Yosuke, Chie and Teddie, while Yukiko, Souji and Kanji stayed downstairs to search there.

Yosuke and Teddie entered what seemed to be Kashiwagi´s working room.

"Hmm...", Teddie opened the drawer of a commode.

"There´s no way a TV would fit inside there, you stupid bea--!", Yosuke started, but stopped in horror and screached when Teddie took out dozens of bras and panties.

"Ooooh, how niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!", Teddie shouted in fascination and started sniffing at one of the bras.

"You stupid pervert!", Yosuke barked, whacked the Shadow and threw his former teacher´s lacies unmentionables back into the drawer.

"But... But... I just wanted some kind of souvenir...", Teddie whined.

"How about a bump on your head as a souvenir!", Yosuke snarled and whacked him again.

"Ow!", Teddie shouted in pain.

"It´s your own fault!", Yosuke said and opened the closet. There was some sort of shrine in it, featuring photos of all males living in Inaba. "Oh my God...", he groaned, not only noticing photos of Dojima and Adachi, but also seeing photos of Souji, Teddie and all of his other male friends. "That woman´s sick!" He hurriedly grabbed the photo of himself and tore it apart.

"Oooooh, a photo session!", Teddie shouted in excitement and was about to jump inside the closet, Yosuke already about to whack him again, when Chie suddenly shouted: "I found it, guys!"

They stormed out of the room, following Chie´s shouting, and reached a room where the curtains where all closed, leaving it in total darkness.

"Hey, come on! Here!", they heard Chie shouting from the other side of the room. Souji and the others had reached the room as well and walked through it, noticing a door at its end that led to another smaller room full of closets and one shaky commode where TV stood through which they had always entered the TV world.

"Good. Seta-senpai and Tatsumi will carry the TV, and...", Naoto started, but she didn´t get farther with her speech since she was too occupied with nearly jumped to the ceiling when she heard the moaning of an older woman coming from the dark room behind them.

It seemed Noriko Kashiwagi had stayed at home today and had been still asleep, only now awoken by the loud ruckus.

Two little words went through the friends´ head in an instant: _`Oh shit!´_

-----------------------------

Annotations: The story is now completely planned and should come along smoothely as long as I don´t get too much work or writer´s block. ^^


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14: Noriko´s wondrous adventure**_

A rather quiet moan, followed by slow shuffling footsteps, were to be heard from the room where the curtains had been closed, probably Kashiwagi´s bedroom.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!", Kanji snarled and jumped into one of the many closets in his panic. The others looked at each other in fear, then randomly jumped into one of the closets as well.

"Ow, fuck! That was my foot, Failsuke!", Chie who had landed inside a closet together with Yosuke snarled.

"Then just get it away from m-- Owww, critical hit to the nads...", Yosuke gasped seconds later.

"Oh, um... S-senpai...", Naoto stammered, having jumped into the same closet as Souji, and her face went beet-red.

"WTF!!! Naoto! Get your hands off him!", Rise screached from one of the other closets while dodging Teddie´s attempts at groping her.

"Uh... um... Yukiko-senpai... Co-could ya back off a little?", Kanji hesitantly asked from one of the other closets.

"Oh, it doesn´t matter, Kanji. I´m a woman, after all.", Yukiko only answered.

Silence...

"I´M NOT GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"... Hana-chan...?", Kashiwagi´s voice came from the bedroom, the shuffling footsteps getting nearer.

"H-h-h-h-h-h-hana-chan?!", Chie shouted and looked at Yosuke, wide-eyed.

"She´s probably talking about Hanako! Be quiet now!", Yosuke snapped at her.

"As you wish, _Hana-chan_.", Chie said, accentuating the word _`Hana-chan´_ and laughingly dodged a hit by Yosuke.

"GET YOUR PAWS OFF ME!!!", a loud scream was to be heard from the closet where Rise and Teddie hit, and seconds later Teddie was kicked out of it, the door to the room opening in the same moment, Kashiwagi in all her glory (or ugliness, if you take a closer look and notice the lack of the usual 10 pounds of make-up which covered all her wrinkles and verrucas) entering.

"Ugh, my head~...", Kashiwagi gasped and rubbed her forehead. "The four bottles Tequilla and Sex on the Beach really had been one too many... And where is Hana-chan now...?" But she stopped when she noticed the teddy bear that sat on the floor.

_`Help! Help! Heeeeeeeeeeelp!!!´_, Teddie thought, scared to death, while trying hard not to move. _`She wants to score with me fo´ sure! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!´_

"Oooooh, what do we have here!", Kashiwagi said, suddenly as giddy as a school girl. She walked through the room, took the teddy bear and pressed it against her big, operated breasts.

Was she just imagining things or did the bear´s ears suddenly turn red? Ah, nonsense! That was just the effect of all that alcohol!

"Aren´t you the cute, little teddy bear that Hanamura-kan was carrying around at Tatsumi Port Island? Kukuku~! My, that boy must really have fallen for me deeply, if gives me his teddy bear in secret! Tee hee hee!" A hushed sound, like someone was gagging, followed by a sound as if someone had been kicked, followed by a muted "Ow!" could be heard. "Hana-chan...?", Kashiwagi said and questioningly looked around the room. "Hmm... She must have gotten home yesterday night." She looked at the teddy bear in her arms again. "Ooooh, and I already know what I´m going to do with you! Kukuku~! Time for some... _naughty games_!"

The next things happened all in the blink of a eye: The teddy bear in Kashiwagi´s arms suddenly screamed "SENSEI! HELP! SHE WANTS TO SCORE WITH ME! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" as loud as he could, managed to escape Kashiwagi´s grasp of love, opened one of the closets and wanted to jump into Souji arms, but then decided against it and rather jumped at the now loudly screaming Naoto.

"Seta-kun?!", Kashiwagi shouted in surprise, her eyes turning to slits of lust immediately after. "Ooooh! Today must be my lucky day! Take me, you beast!" She jumped at the loudly screaching Souji who backed off as far as possible.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SOUJI-SENPAI!!!", Rise barked, jumped out of the closed and stormed through the room to grab Kashiwagi´s hair and forcefully pull her away from her Souji.

"Argh! Rise Kujikawa! That bitch just had to barge in here and disrupt my romantic meeting!", Kashiwagi shouted and to manage Rise behind her.

"BITCH!?!", Rise screamed.

"BITCH!!!", Kashiwagi retorted in her anger.

"OH, THAT´S IT, BITCH!!!", Rise shrieked and jumped like some kind of fury at the older teacher. Both women rolled around the room, biting and scratching each other, until the reached the center of the room, where all hell broke loose in this Cat Fight.

"Oh, how exciting! Right, Nao-chan?", Teddie who was still groping Naoto who still didn´t move a muscle because of the state of shock she was in. Only now did she manage to regain her compuse, grabbed the blond Shadow and smashed his head against one of the walls.

"Come on, Rise! Show that bitch who´s boss!", Chie cheered Rise on, having left her closet as well.

"Uuuh, that´s not some kind of sports event.", Yosuke said, rolling his eyes, and then looked up startled when he heard Yukiko suddenly laughing like a lunatic.

"Wh-what happened, Yukiko-senpai?", Kanji, now standing next to Souji, asked in confusion and looked at Yukiko who rolling around on the floor, laughing her ass off.

"Y-you just.... You just came... out of there...", Yukiko gaggled and managed to point towards one of the closets.

"Huh?!"

"She´s refering to the phrase _`Coming out of the closet´_, if you know what that means, Tatsumi.

Silence, only desturbed by the still brawling Rise and Kashiwagi.

"I´M NOT GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

WAM!!!!!!!!!

Rise and Kashiwagi had crashed against the commode in their argument. The commode started to reel, the TV on top of it about to fall.

"Oh shit! Rise! Look out, the T--", Yosuke shouted in horror, but the TV had already crashed to the floor, absorbing Rise and Kashiwagi. "--V is about to fall down...", Yosuke slowly finished his sentence.

Again, two little words went through the friends´ heads: _`Oh shit!´_

----------------------------

Annotations: Sorry about the slight delay and this rather small update, but Persona 3 Portable has finally arrived, and I´m rather busy dating Akihiko, Junpei and Shinji now. ^^;


	15. Chapter 15: Kashiwagi in Wonderland

_**Chapter 15: Kashiwagi in Wonderland**_

"Fuck! Fuck!! Fuck!!!", Kanji shouted and wandered around the room inside Kashiwagi´s house nervously while Souji and Yosuke hoisted the TV back onto the commode.

"The screen is okay. Good.", Naoto said in relief.

"Good?! Nothin´ ´s good!", Kanji shouted at her. "Fuck, man! We just threw some innocent person into that hellhole of a world!"

"I´m well aware of that, Tatsumi! There is no reason to shout at me!", Naoto snapped back.

"G-guys...", Chie began hesitantly, but backed off when she noticed the other two´s glares.

"Cut it out! We don´t have time for that!", Souji intervened and stuck his hand towards the TV screen that was absorbed immediately. "We have to get in there as fast as possible. Rise had accepted her Shadow back then and had gotten a Persona. Kashiwagi has neither."

"You mean...?!", Yosuke started, huge-eyed. Oh, hell no! I don´t wanna see a Shadow of Kashiwagi! That´s something nobody wants to see!"

Horrible imaginary pictures of a possible Shadow Kashiwagi wandered through the group´s mind, and they all started shuddering immediately.

"Let´s go get in there!", Chie screamed in slight panic and jumped into the TV, followed by the others.

He´d experienced it dozens of time, but it was still a strange feeling everytime Souji entered the TV: In s swirl of colors that slowly got blacker and blacker, Souji and the others were thrown around randomly, deeper and deeper into the seemingly endless abyss, until finally--

"Ouch!", Yosuke howled when he crashed head-first onto the ground.

`Ouch´ indeed! In Souji´s memory the landing had been a little more gentle! Oh well, it had been a few years after all since they´d been in here the last time. He´d just gotten out of practice, it seemed...

"Aaaaah, sweet home!", Teddie sighed, deepled inhaled the air of this foggy world and chuckled suddenly.

"What?", Chie asked, puzzled.

"A ´sweet home´! The witche´s house of Hansel and Gretel by those grimm brothers!", Teddie giggled, followed by loud groaning of the others.

"Let´s go.", Yukiko said and went ahead with everyone else.

"Hey, wait! You´ll need me and my cute nose!", Teddie shouted, near tears, and ran after them.

"I think your `cute nose´ won´t be needed this time.", Yosuke said in disgust.

"Hmm?", Teddie sniffed again and shuddered. "Ugh! What is _that_?!"

"It seems this is Kashiwagi-sensei´s perfume.", Naoto wheezed, trying to shield her nose with her hand from that pungent stench.

"Okay, guys. Just follow the smell.", Souji coughed.

"I wonder why the smell of her perfume has gotten so strong all of a sudden...", Yukiko said thoughtfully while taking out her glasses to wear them. The fog seemed to have vanished in an instant around her.

"No id-- Ouch! Goddamnit!!!", Kanji screamed when he stumbled over something that lay on the ground and fell. "What the hell...?!" He jumped up, whirled around and noticed Rise who was lying on the ground unconscious.

"Rise!", Yuikiko shouted, frightened, leaned over her and took out a fan. A shining blue tarot card appeared, but before she could do anything else Rise opened her eyes and stared around in confusion.

"What is...?", the teenie idol mumbled, then screamed as loud as she could in anger and jumped up. "Oh, that stupid cow! I´ll get her for that! I´LL TEAR OUT EVERY LAST ONE OF HER FAKE HAIR!!! I´LL LET HER BURN IN THIS HELL AND WRITHE IN AGONY!!! I-- Oooooooh, Senpai!" She stopped, appalled that her beloved Souji-senpai had whitnessed her outburst. "Um... I... Err... Tee hee hee..."

"Do not worry. I wholeheartedly agree with you.", Naoto said. "That horrible woman deserves some kind of punishment. But being left in this world is not an option, not even for her."

"Yeah...", Rise agreed and hung her head.

"What exactly happened, Rise-chan?", Chie asked.

"Well, after our little argument...", Rise started explaining, but stopped to glare at Yosuke who had coughed in incredulity when Rise had told this understatement. "... After our little argument and the fall inside the TV world, that stupid bitch went totally crazy! Had babbled something about `Oh, so I´m actually draming! Well, then I´ll be going to have some fun now!´ and had just run off into the fog! I tried to stop her, but she actually hit me on the head with one of her huge stilettos!" She rubbed over the bump on her head. "Ooooh, if I get my hands on her!!!"

"So that means she actually went father into the fog?!", Yosuke asked, unbelieving. Rise nodded. "Oh God, that woman really does want to die!"

"No, she´s just a giant pervert.", Souji said. "From what Rise said, she thinks she´s dreaming. I bet in her dreams there are dozens of horny men, just waiting inside the fog to attack her.

"Ugh! Bah! Eww! Wah! Yuck!", Chie shouted in disgust and started making gagging noises.

"Fuck! Get those pictures outta my head!", Kanji shouted.

"Teddie´s starting to get really scared of that woman.", Teddie said, slightly shaking.

"We should hurry before she really meets her Shadow.", Naoto said and inhaled more of the perfume. "Hmm... The smell of her perfume really is strong. Too strong. I can´t really tell from where it´s coming... Kujikawa, can you feel her?"

"Just a moment...", Rise said, concentrated, and suddenly was surrounded by some kind of priestess wearing antennas that held a visor in front of the teenie idols eyes. A few seconds went by, until Rise finally looked up and pointed at a direction south from them. "She´s there! And she´s not alone!"

"Not alone?!", Yosuke repeated in horror. "Oh no! Please, no!"

"Okay, let´s go!", Souji shouted an ran southwards, followed by the others.

* * *

"Hello, Dojimma-san.", one of the jailers greeted Ryotaro Dojima, as he wandered through the doors of Inaba´s prison.

" 'lo.", Dojima said, nodding towards the man, and entered the director´s office.

"Ah, good day, Dojima-san.", the director greeted him.

"Good day, director.", Dojima said.

"Back again to visit Adachi-san?"

"Well... yeah.", Dojima said, looking slightly uncomfortable at the mentioning of the man´s name and looked to the side.

"I am sorry, but Adachi-san is currently unavailable.", the director said.

"Huh? What do you mean?", Dojima asked and looked up.

"He´s... sleeping.", the director said hesitantly.

"Well, then just wake him up. As far as I know prisoners should be happy when someone comes to visit them.", Dojima said.

"That won´t be possible, I´m afraid.", the director retorted and adjusted his tie. Another questioning look of Dojima. "You must know, Mr. Tohru Adachi sometimes gets into those... certain conditions in which... he´s in some kind of... coma..."

"Some kind of coma...?", Dojima repeated, puzzled.

"Exactly. And when he´s in that condition it´s absoulety impossible to wake him up.", the director resumed talking. "But you don´t need to worry. Until now he´s always woken up."

"Until now?!", Dojima repeated, getting angrier and angrier. "Are you getting senile?! That man cold stay in that condition forever! What´re gonna do then!? A doctor has to take a look at him!"

"Dojima-san, do you seriously think I wouldn´t have come to the same conclusion as you!?", the director retorted, now angry as well. "I had many doctors take a look at them, but none of them could do something against it, and they couldn´t tell what kind of condition that is!"

"I... I... so... rry...", Dojima said, embarrassed.

"Don´t mention it.", the director said smiled again. "I do understand you, Dojima-san. No matter what horrible things he´d done, Adachi-san had been your colleague for more than a year. Goodness, you´re the only one visiting him."

"The only one? But... what about his parents?!", Dojima asked, surprised about this information.

"Tohru Adachi´s family lives strictly according to old Japanese tradition.", the director explained. "I had called them once and informed them that their son is detained here. They let me know that their son is that. They´ve cast him away."

"Oh..."

"Anyway, Adachi-san is in one of those coma-like conditions again and is therefore unable to speak with anyone. I am sorry that I didn´t tell you about this for so long, but I had feared you would react like you just did.", the director said.

"I, no... I... It´s okay...", Dojima mumbled, absentmindedly.

"And you can´t really view those conditions as something bad.", the director suddenly said. "After those conditions are over, Adachi-san´s always a completely different man, cheerful and happy, let me tell you!"

"Uh... wha...?", Dojima started.

"Was there something important you wanted to talk about with Adachi-san, Dojima-san? If so, I could let someone inform Adachi-san about it once he wakes up.", the director interrupted him.

"I...", Dojima started and thought about Nanako and the strange snowman-like thing that Nanako called `Jack Frost´, and that lived in their house since a few days. "No, it was nothing important..."

"May I accompany you outside?"

"No, thanks. I... I´ll find my way outside...", Dojima said, stood up and went towards the exit. That talk had really gotten him confused.

And he could just be imagining things, but... had the director´s office kinda smelled like something had rotten inside it?

* * *

"Prom Ball...", Yosuke started.

"... From Basket Hell?!", Chie continued, gaping, and started at the giant neon poster in front of the building of marble which was decorated with dozens of lights and garlands.

"Didn´t Kou´s Shadow announce this prom in TV?!", Yukiko said.

"What does that bitch want here?!", Rise asked.

"Well... I would assume she´s after party full of alcohol, food and men.", Naoto said, disgusted.

"Ugh!", Chie groaned, once again about to vomit.

Souji resumed walking.

"Should we... really just enter...?", Yukiko asked, hesitant.

"She´s right, Senpai.", Rise agreed. "We had only planned to get the TV and drive back to the University."

"But that was only so that we could back for our next seminars in time.", Naoto said. "Now that another person has entered the TV world, we have to act. The probability of her being attacked and killed by Ichijo-kun´s Shadow is just too high." She took out her revolver and followed Souji who´d already taken out a sword out of his bag.

"I´d rather worry about Kou´s Shadow...", Yosuke mumbled, taking out two daggers, and entered the building together with the others, just to spot a really drunken Kashiwagi in the foyer that was garnished with dozens of tables full of alcoholic drinks and delicious meal. The old teacher was trying to dance to the classic music that played, but failed miserable in her current state of drunkenness. She giggled and wandered around the room, starting look behind all of the room´s columns, as if she was playing tag with someone.

"Oooh, I´m in heaven...", the old teacher slurred. "Alcohol, food and a yound shy guy just for me! Tee hee hee hee! Where are you, my darling kitten! Come to mommy!" She resumed searching behind those columns, about to fall to the ground any moment in her state.

"What´s she talkin´ about?!", Kanji asked. "I don´t see anyone else here!"

"I... I can feel someone.", Rise said and looked around nervously. "It´s the same presence as before."

"Is it Kou´s Shadow?", Naoto asked, strengthening the grip on her revolver.

"No, it´s not him. I can feel Kou´s Shadow, but it´s in another room.", Rise said. "That presence... It seems very familiar... But just can´t tell..."

"Hmm?", Kashiwagi suddenly turned around, hearing a woman talking, and spotted Rise. "Oh, not that kill-joy again!", the old teacher snarled and turned, facing the door that led to the next room. "Sorry, my little kitten, wherever you are, but mommy has to get away from that evil bitch right now! Maybe we´ll play again some other time! Kukuku~!" Giggling, Kashiwagi ran sinuous lines towards the door.

"No!", Yukiko shouted, but the old teacher had already disappeared.

"Ugh! Just peachy!", Yosuke groaned, annoyed, and followed her together with the others, the person who´d been in that room as well already forgotten.

* * *

It was at that moment that Tohru Adachi woke up inside his bed in his prison cell.

"Mnn...", he moaned and sat up, threw the blanket to the side and looked at his wet underwear. "What a dream!", he said, contentedly. "But just when it was getting good, she had to run away!" He stood up, threw away his semen-drenched underwear and changed into a new one. "... Noriko Kashiwagi... A little bit old, but I wouldn´t have said `no´ to her..." He turned towards the door. "Damn brats always have to get in my way..."

* * *

"Oh shit, please, no...!", Yosuke gasped when he entered the next room and spotted Kou´s Shadow that was just as panicked as he was, Kashiwagi yanking at his left arm while Kashiwagu´s Shadow yanked at his right arm.

"Let go off him, he´s mine!", Kashiwagi snarled at her Shadow.

"No way! He´s mine!", Kashiwagi´s Shadow snapped back.

"Mine!"

"No, MINE!!!"

"Hussy!!!"

"Cuzzy!!!"

"Cheap whore!!!"

"Flat-chested bitch!!!"

"WHAT WAS THAT!?!", Kashiwagi growled. They threw away the loudly screaching Shadow Kou and started circling each other like furies. Shadow Kou looked at him for a while, whole body shaking, before escaping to the next room.

"Hey, wait!", Chie shouted after them, but the Shadow had already gotten away. "Damn!"

"You´re calling me `flat-chested´!?!", Kashiwagi screamed at her Shadow and practically threw her breasts at her Shadow when she took them out of her bra.

Kanji´s nose started bleeding in an instant.

"Oh, please! You´re boobs are _sooo_ fake!", Shadow Kashiwagi cackled.

WHACK!!! Kashiwagi had slapped her Shadow.

Everyone in the room was silent for a few seconds, then the two Kashiwagis jumped at each other and continued the Cat Fight Rise and Kashiwagi had started a while ago.

"Bitch!!"

"Senile old woman!!!"

"Virgin!!!"

"Stop it already!", Souji tried to make them stop and took some steps towards them. In the same moment dozens of rays of energy shot out of Shadow Kashiwagi´s body, and Kashiwagi was thrown towards one side of the room, Souji towards the other.

"Senpai!", Rise shouted in horror and ran towards him.

"That´s quite enough, bitch!!!", Shadow Kashiwagi screamed while standing up again, and grew taller and taller. "You think you´re something special!?! You think you´re the next Miss World!?! I´ll show you how pathetic you really are!!! I´ll show you _WHAT_ YOU REALLY ARE!!!" The Shadow was still growing, and thick fog began surrounding it while taking a new shape.

"Oh shit! Here it comes!", Kanji shouted and took a fighting stance.

"I´LL POUND YOU INTO THE GROOOOOOOUUUUND! KUKUKUKU~!!!", the Shadow screeched, now reaching unto the ceiling, the fog around it starting to lift.

"Get her!!!", Souji shouted and jumped at that mutated thing with his sword, ready to take on a Shadow for the first time in years.

* * *

Annotations: I hope I could make up for last time with a longer chapter. ^^


	16. Chapter 16: The slighty different Shadow

_**Chapter 16: The slightly different Shadow**_

Annotations: Yes, I´ve added annotations before the actual chapter this time! It´ll be too late for them once you´ve read this chapter! Anyway... I´ll be giving you links for fitting music for every major battle in this fanfiction. There is, as you can surely imagine, going to be one major battle in this chapter. So first I´m going to add a link to a site where you can listen to the music that would fit for the battle.

YouTube link: www[dot]youtube[dot]com/watch?v=-eJ4yFu22Wo Replace "[dot]" with "."

Then I´m going to add a link where you can download the theme if you like (no viruses).

MediaFire link: www[dot]mediafire[dot]com/download[dot]php?givm5r2yzt5 Replace "[dot]" with "."

* * *

"Tee hee hee hee hee!!!", Kashiwagi´s Shadow chuckled while the fog around it slowly disappeared. Souji was still running toward it determinedly, but then suddenly stopped, gaping.

A gigantic being with long undulating mud-brown hair that vaguely resembled a woman - the giant breasts made of silicone suggested so - was sitting on the floor before him, a white transparent and torn gown that left nothing to the imagination - it was definitely not hiding her boobs - the only thing it wore. A red mask like one wears them on proms sometimes, veiled her eyes, one side pitch black, the other side of the mask blood red. Her lips were strangely big, like a doctor had done something to them to make them so big, her naked breasts full of silicone were bouncing while she slightly luffed her body from side to side, her legs spread as faaaaaaar as possible so that everyone could see her... well, that certain organ women have down there.

"Kukuku~~!", Kashiwagi´s Shadow that seemed to have been to far too many beauty operations laughed. "I am Shadow, the true self! And now, be blinded by my beauty, you fools!" She spread her legs even wider.

Yosuke´s face took on a new form of red.

Teddie whistled in admiration.

Naoto frowned in disapproval.

Kanji fainted.

Chie started gagging.

Yukiko fell to the ground because of one of her laughing fit.

And Souji was totally fine... until he made the mistake of attacking that... that... thing.

The moment his sword touched one of the Shadow´s thighs, the Shadow stretched his head backwards and moaned: "Seta-kun! Please, be gentle with me! It´s my first time, you know." Seconds later, dozens of the Shadow´s hair shot towards Souji who was about to vomit and punched him against a wall.

"Senpai!", Rise shouted in horror, her Persona appearing and veiling her eyes with her visor. "Ah, got it! Don´t hit it with physical attacks! It absorbs them!"

"Amaterasu!", Yukiko shouted and smashed the tarot card that appeared with her fan. But not Amaterasu appeared, but Yukiko´s first Persona Konohana-sakuya. "What?!", Yukiko shouted in confusion while her Persona dodged Shadow Kashiwagi´s hair attacks and flew towards Souji to heal him.

"Gooo, Susanno-O!", Yosuke shouted and smashed the tarot card with his daggers. But just as it was the case with Yukiko´s Persona, it was not Susanno-O that appeared, but Jiraiya that was heading towards the enemy. "What the--?!"

"Kukuku~! I think someone´s just begging me for a little bit of thunder!", Kashiwagi´s Shadow giggled, dozens of thunder bolts shooting out of her genital the next moment.

"FUCK!!!", Yosuke shouted, waiting for the pain of his life since his Persona was weak to electricity.

"Rokuten Maou!!!", Kanji screamed. But Take-mikazuchi appeared instead and shielded Yosuke´s Persona. Kanji´s Persona did have a certain defence against electricity, but the attack still threw him backwards.

"Sorry! Thanks, dude!", Yosuke thanked him and dodged another thunder attack.

"Oh! They´re all trying to get to me and grope me! Kukuku~!", Kashiwagi´s Shadow chuckled and used her hair like whips to keep Teddie´s Persona Kintoki-Douji and Chie´s Persona Tomoe - both in their first stage like the Personas of everyone else - away from her.

"Wh-what the hell!? Why are all our Personas back to their first stage?!", Chie shouted and prepared to attack the enemy with a Bufu attack.

"No, Chie-senpai! Ice attacks are useless!", Rise warned her and dodged one of the large tables in the room that Shadow Kashiwagi threw at her.

"Aaaaaaaaargh! Well, count me out, then!", Chie grumbled, her Persona only able to use ice attacks or physical attacks. She called back her Persona and stormed towards Naoto who was tending to an unconscious Kashiwagi. "Naoto, go and help the others! I´m going to take care of that bitch!"

"Acceptable!", Naoto said, stormed towards the battle field and summoned her Persona Sukuna-Hikona with a shot from her revolver. "First stage as well...", Naoto mumbled and let her cricket-like Persona fly around Kashiwagi´s head.

"Uagh! An insect! Make it go awaaaaaaaaaaaay~!", Shadow Kashiwagi screeched with a voice that could even wake the dead and hysterically tried to the hit Naoto´s Persona with her hair.

"Now! Attack it from behind!", Naoto shouted since Kashiwagi´s Shadow had forgotten to protect her back in her pursuit of Naoto´s Persona.

Yosuke, Kanji and Souji - who had now finally summoned his Persona Izanagi as well - threw attacks at the Shadow´s back while Teddie was unable to do anything - his Persona´s attacks were ice-based as well - and Yukiko fell to the ground, laughing.

"A-amagi-senpai...?", Naoto asked, puzzled.

"F-f-f-f-from be-behind... Hahahahahahaha! Fr-from... be-behind...! Hahahahahahahaha!!!", Yukiko giggled while rolling around, laughing her ass off.

"Ugh! Get away from there, you crazy hyena!", Chie snarled, grabbed her and dragged her away from the battle field before Kashiwagi´s Shadow could attack her.

"Ooooooh~! Don´t be so rough on little old me, you three naughty boys!", Shadow Kashiwagi cried, having been thrown forward by the attack, and attacked the three Personas with her hair.

"I got you!", Naoto screamed and landed a direct hit with a `Megido´ attack.

"Aaaaaaaaah!!!", the Shadow screamed in pain as it was thrown against a wall.

"Izanagi! Get her!", Souji shouted. His Persona shot forwards and rammed its sword into the completely burnt skin of the Shadow that had protected her against physical attacks until now. The Shadow screamed in pain and dissolved into a sea of silicone. The sea parted and Shadow Kashiwagi appeared, now back to her human form, looking at Kashiwagi a blank expression its face. Shaking, Kashiwagi who had returned consciousness moments before Souji´s Persona had stabbed her Shadow - and therefore having seen how artificial her Shadow had been - slowly stood up.

"Y-YOU!!!", she screamed at her Shadow and pointed at it with one of her fingers. "How dare you! How dare you ridicule me like that!"

"Good, she doesn´t refuse to acknowledge that it´s her true self...", Naoto sighed in relief.

"Now everyone knows my boobs are fake!", Kashiwagi suddenly cried.

"We... already knew that before the fight...", Rise said, annoyed, while her Shadow dissolved into fog that appeared into the ground.

"Huh? Where´d it go?", Kanji asked.

"She doesn´t have enough will power.", Teddie explained. "Only beings with a strong enough will can control their Shadows and let it evolve into a Persona."

"Oh, good.", Yosuke sighed, relieved. "I really didn´t want Kashiwagi to be part of our group from now on."

"You think I want that!?", everyone else shouted in unison.

Chie looked at the door behind which Kou´s Shadow had disappeared.

"Hey, gus, do you think we should... you know... go after Kou´s Shadow?", she asked the others.

"No, I don´t think so.", Souji said.

"We should get Kashiwagi out of this world.", Naoto agreed. "Otherwise we´ll risk endangering her even more."

"Tch! Serves her right!", Rise bristled with anger.

"Besides...", Naoto continued, as if Rise had never interrupted her. "... we all have to attend our seminars tomorrow, and if we don´t want to be late and risk getting expelled, we really should hurry back."

"But that stupid cow caught us! We can´t just take the TV with us anymore!", Chie said.

"Oh, I wouldn´t worry about that.", Yosuke said and threw a meaningful look at Kashiwagi who had staggered back to the alcohol.

Yes, all that alcohol that the old teacher had consumed would surely make her forget what had happened this day.

"But still... Just taking the TV like that...", Yukiko said.

"I will leave her sufficient money in compensation.", Naoto assured her while Yosuke and Kanji started carrying Kashiwagi out of the building, looking clearly disgusted.

"Oooooh, you two are soooooo hot~~!", Kashiwagi slurred, groping the two men as much as possible, the others shaking their heads and following.

* * *

Annotations: Well, that was a rather... odd chapter. ^^; Oh yeah, just tell me what you think about me adding music to every major fight and if I should continue to do so. ;)


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 17: Persona Users of the Round Table**_

Still slightly confused, Dojima returned home after his work - a few more assignments from the police - to find his daughter Nanako sitting in front of the TV like always.

_`She´ll get telescope eyes one of these days...´_, Dojima thought and looked at the snowman-like thing that sat on Nanako´s lap and slept with disdain. He´d tried everything to get rid of that stupid thing, but it had always find a way to get back; even barricaded doors couldn´t hold it back. In the end he´d given up and allowed his daughter to keep that thing.

"I´m home!", Dojima grumbled while stowing away his jacket.

"Ah, welcome home, Dad!", Nanako shouted happily and ran towards her to hug her, the snowman Persona getting crushed between them in the act. "Did you go visit that weird man again today?"

"Adachi-san.", Dojima corrected his eleven years old daughter.

"Adachi-san.", Nanako repeated, pouting. "I don´t want you to meet him again, Dad. I don´t like him, and Jack Frost doesn´t, either."

"Nanako, I can´t avoid meeting him due to my work.", Dojima explained to his daughter while sitting onto the couch, and Nanako, still pouting, got back to her place in front of the TV. "And I really don´t care what that snowball thinks about Ada-- Wait a minute! How does that thing know Adachi?!"

"His name´s not `Thing´!", Nanako protested. "And Jack Frost knows everyone, even Big Bro!"

"Does he know?", Dojima said, his facial expression darkening. How did that thing know Adachi and Souji? Could it... from the TV world...?

But he was interrupted in his thoughts when Nanako suddenly leaned even nearer towards the TV because she couldn´t read something that was written in really small letters. The TV screen suddenly seemed to turned into water more and more the nearer Nanako came.

"NANAKO!!!", Dojima screamed and jumped up.

"S-sorry, Dad...", Nanako said and hurriedly backed away.

"I told you not to get too close to any TV screens!", Dojima loudly scolded his daughter.

"I´m sorry...", Nanako stammered and looked to the ground, near tears.

"Aww, don´t cry, my little princess.", Dojima hurriedly said, annoyed by himself because he had shouted at his daughter once again. "Hey, how about a cup of cocoa?"

"Oh yeah!", Nanako shouted in elation. Dojima laughed, amused, and went to the kitchen to make cocoa for his daughter. "Jack Frost wants a cup of cocoa, too, Dad!"

"Of course...", Dojima grumbled, crunching his teeth.

Seconds later, Dojima sat on the couch once again and drank a cup of coffee while Nanako and Jack Frost were drinking hot cocoa.

"Dad...", Nanako suddenly said and stared at Jack Frost´s cup on which was written _`Souji´_ in bright letters.

"Huh?", Dojima asked, absorbed into the newspapers.

"When will Big Bro come visit us again?"

Dojima startled slightly at the mentioning of Souji. "I... I don´t know, honey.", he only said. _`Never again, if I have a say in it...´_, he thought. _`That damn snowman thing and that Nanako could fall into the TV at any second are all his fault for sure!´_

"Oh...", Nanako silently resumed drinking her cocoa, gaze glassy.

* * *

"Okay, you can come out.", Yosuke whispered from the hallway of theUniversity´s residential building. As fast as possible Souji and Kanji carried the TV through the campus, followed by the others, and ran through the hallways until they reached Rise and Naoto´s lounge.

"Ooooh, that´s going to be perfect for watching my TV series!", Rise said happily and sat on a chair in the kitchen.

"The TV´s not here for _that_purpose, Kujikawa.", Naoto admonished her.

"Seriously!", Kanji complained. "The TV in my lounge is completely destroyed because of that Shadow! Why don´t I get the TV?!"

"Because Naoto´s family´s filthy rich and it´ll be more convincing that way!", Rise countered, defending her rights for TV viewing in High Quality. "But I may just let you come visit and see for yourself how good everything looks in HD."

"Grrr!", Kanji hissed.

"Can Teddie come visit, too?", Teddie asked hopefully.

"Only if I´m present and if every closets are locked.", Naoto answered.

"Oh...", Teddie crawled back into his bear costume in disappointment.

"Pervert...", Chie grumbled. "I´m sure he learned all that from Pervesuke!"

"He did _not_!", Yosuke spat.

"Oooh, so you´re responding to the name `Pervesuke´ now?", Chie countered mockingly. Yosuke´s face went beet-red and he looked to the side, pouting.

"Could we please stop acting like children now and start getting to the point of this meeting here?", Naoto pleaded. "It is rather late, and if we want to enter the TV world again tomorrow, we should get through that talk as fast as possible."

"We´re goingt to enter the TV world again tomorrow?", Yukiko asked.

"I think we´d better hurry.", Souji said. "In the weather forecast yesterday they said that the weather should stay like it is now, but that it _could_ start raining. They´re not really sure."

"Oh..."

"Kujikawa, what exactly did you perceive inside the TV world?", Naoto asked.

"Rise.", Rise only said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It´s `Rise´, not `Kujikawa´. For heaven´s sake, we have to share a lounge for the near future, Naoto!", Rise snapped at her.

"... `Rise´, what exactly did you perceive inside the TV world?", Naoto asked, crunching her teeth.

"A rather familiar presence.", Rise answered. "I´ve thought about it on the ride back, but I still don´t remember whose presence it was."

"Hey, Ted, didn´t you smell something maybe?", Yosuke asked.

"No. The perfume from that creepy Kashiwagi had been too strong for that.", Teddie answered.

"What was that anyway?", Kanji asked. "Even Ma doesn´t reek like that when she´s prettying herself up!"

"I guess the smell had come from her Shadow to emphasize her slutty appearance.", Souji guessed.

"I really would have preferred the glasses with the nose this time. They could have shielded me against that stench.", Yukiko suddenly said, lost in thought. Everyone looked at her in disbelief. "What? I thought they were cute."

"Ugh...", Chie groaned and shook her head. "Do we really originate from the same planet, Yukiko?"

"What do you mean?", the long-haired woman asked.

"No, nothing, forget it.", Chie sighed. "Sometimes, I really think you should have been born a blonde."

"Hmm... No, I don´t think blond would suit me.", Yukiko said. The others groaned. "What?"

"So, to sum it up, we don´t have a clue who´d been in that room besides us and Kashiwagi?", Yosuke hurriedly changed the subject.

"Right.", Rise said. "But why are you so interested to know, Naoto?"

"Because it could have been the person who´s doing all those things at the University, right?", Souji said.

"That is correct.", Naoto answered.

"Then it´s totally clear who it was!", Kanji said. "That old asshole Bagman´s been there! Right, Rise?"

"`Kujikawa´."

"Huh?"

"It´s `Kujikawa´ for you, Kanji.", Rise corrected him.

"What the fu--?!"

"But to answer your question: No, it was not that Bagman, of that I´m sure.", Rise interrupted him and looked at her cup thoughtfully, suddenly shouting loudly and ruffling her hair in annoyance. "AAAARRRGH!!! I can´t stand it! Why can´t I remember to whom that presence belongs!? ARRRH!!!"

"It´s better not too try to hard.", Yosuke said. "You´ll rather remember it if we don´t think about it all the time."

"You´re right...", Rise saighed and then suddenly stared at Yosuke, wide-eyed.

"Wh-what?"

"It´s really strange that it´s always you who suddenly says such things, Yosuke-senpai.", the teenie idol said.

"Wh-what´s that supposed to mean!?", Yosuke snarled, face beet-red again.

"But I can understand Tatsumi´s reasoning.", Naoto said. "Mr. Bagman is really far on the top of my list of suspects. His whole behaviour and attitude are really suspicious. And Ichijo-kun had also angered him before he had been attacked by his Shadow."

"Yap! And seconds later Kou had been in a state of coma!", Chie agreed.

"But wouldn´t that be rather obvious?", Yukiko said. "He would direct all attention towards him."

"That´s why he called in sick and let that perverted professor take over for a while.", Yosuke said. "So that everyone thinks he´s hit his head so hard that he couldn´t have been able to do anything to Kou."

"Huh... That´s true.", Yukiko said, nodding.

"In any case, Yosufu Bagman is on my list of suspects.", Naoto said. "But who else... Hmm..."

"Fuuka Yamagishi.", Souji suddenly said.

"Huh? That informatics professor?! Oh come on, Senpai! Didn´t ya see her on the day of the welcoming speech?! She´s harmless!", Kanji said in disbelieve.

"Not to me.", Souji disagreed, still remembering the look the professor had when he´d formed that new Social Link.

"Fuuka Yamagishi... Okay, I will keep an eye on her.", Naoto said and wrote down the professor´s name on a list. "So the current suspects are Yosufu Bagman, Fuuka Yamagishi, Akihiko Sanada and Ikas Ito..."

"Sanada-san?!", Chie repeated, puzzled.

"Ikas?!", Yosuke repeated in disbelief.

"Sanada-san seems suspicious to me for some reason. I don´t like the way he reacted when he entered Tatsumi and Ichijo´s lounge.", Naoto simply said. "And Ikas Ito has more than enough reasons. She is constantly being bullied by the students, meaning she could have started to throw everyone who dares to make fun of her into the TV world."

"Sanada-san, okay, but not Ikas!", Yosuke protested. "Kou never did anything to her, Naoto! If she´d be the killer, she´d have pushed one of those bastards into the TV!"

"I think Failsuke´s right for once.", Chie agreed.

"Stop giving me names all the times!", Yosuke snapped at her.

"Are you feeling addressed again?", Chie simply asked.

"You...! You...!"

"Seriously, get a room, you two!", Rise interrupted them, annoyed.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT!?!", Chie and Yosuke shouted in unison.

"I´d rather date Kashiwagi or Hanako!", Yosuke screamed.

"And I´d rather date Bagman!", Chie screeched.

"Okay, Ito isn´t really that suspicious. But I will still keep an eye on her.", Naoto said.

"Please do.", Souji said, nodding.

"What about the first victim´s roommate? That... uh... Sideu?", Rise asked.

"We´ve already talked about that. Too obvious.", Naoto said. "But I can observe her as well, if you´d like." She wrote the girl´s name down as well.

"Why had Teddie´s Bearsona been so puny, anyway?", Teddie suddenly asked.

"Ah, very good, Teddie. That´s another thing I had wanted to talk about.", Naoto said.

"Yes, that had really surprised me.", Yukiko agreed.

"Well, maybe... you know... We haven´t been to the TV world for years.", Chie asked, shrugging. "It´s like with martial artes: I you don´t train constantly, you´ll get rusty pretty soon."

"Hmm... That´s exactly a rather plausible explanation, Satonaka-senpai.", Naoto agreed.

Souji didn´t really look convinced. Could it maybe be another side effect of Philemon´s - Igor´s master - sudden disappearance? Or was it something else entirely?

"Okay, anything else?", Chie asked and yawned.

"No, that is all.", Naoto said.

One after another they left Naoto and Rise´s lounge and headed back to their own lounges, not noticing the person that observed them, hidden in the darkness of the corridor.

"Good-for-nothing brats...", the person said. "I hope you´ll die tomorrow inside the TV world... Until then I´ll just have to wait and see..."


	18. Chapter 18: Magician revived

_**Chapter 18: Magician revived**_

"HWATAAAAAAAAH!!!", Chie shouted and eliminated the remaining Shadow with a kick to its crotch.

"Ugh!", Yosuke groaned at having to see that spectacle and instinctively clutched at his own crotch.

"What?!", Chie snarled while wiping away the sweat on her forehead.

"Do you always hit them _right there_?!", Yosuke whined.

"Then just look away!", Chie snapped.

"Yeah, suuure! I´ll just look to the side and happily let the Shadows kill me, bird brain!"

"DU...!"

"Ack, for the last time, get a room!", Rise butted in, annoyed, having already summoned a portal through which they could get back to the entrance.

"He started it!", Chie protested.

"She started it!", Yosuke shouted almost at the same moment. Naoto aimed at them with her revolver.

"Alright! Alright!", they both hurriedly said and towards the others.

"So we´re calling it a day already?", Chie asked when she entered the portal that would bring them outside.

"We´ve been in here for more than five hours. I think we should.", Souji said.

"Phew! Thank God! The blisters on my feet already got blisters!", Yosuke said, relived.

"Failsuke...", Chie mumbled.

"I HEARD THAT!!!", Yosuke screamed, the portal beaming them away the next moment.

* * *

"Ugh! Fuck!", Yosuke groaned and threw himself into his bed. "Dude, I´m completely beat! I didn´t remember the runs through all those dungeons to be _this_ tiring!"

"You tell me...", Souji said, sitting on his own bed and massaging his shoulders. "Well, we aren´t teenagers anymore. Just be glad we´re not in our fourties or so. That would be hell."

"Well, I think that doesn´t apply for a certain someone.", Yosuke said and looked at Teddie who was jumping up and down from where he sat in front of the laptop while wreaking havoc upon the online game RuneScape.

"Take that! And that! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!", the Shadow cackled while torturing the laptop.

"Did you eat too much sugar again?!", Yosuke snarled and threw a pillow at him which he dodged, cackling madly.

"Sugar is gooooooooooooood!", Teddie shouted enthusiastically.

"Yap, sure did...", Souji sighed.

Both men lay in their beds in silence, Teddie´s mad laughing interrupting said silence from time to time, and stared at the ceiling.

"And what now?", Yosuke suddenly asked.

"Hm?", Souji asked.

"Well, you wanna do something? Maybe we could get the others to come with us."

"No, I think not. All that running around and pounding Shadow to the ground completely drained my energy.", Souji declined.

"I feel the same.", Yosuke agreed and sighed.

"Let´s just chill."

"Just like back then in Inaba." Yosuke grinned at him.

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", a voice suddenly began to speak inside Soujißs head, the Magician Arcan appearing before his eyes and thus surprising Souji. Didn´t he already complete this Social Link together with Yosuke which had made his Persona evolve?! "Thou hast revived an old bond from the depths of its deepest slumber...", the voice continued to speak. "It brings thee closer to the truth behind thruths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana..." The Arcana began glowing and disappeared, Souji feeling his bond with Yosuke strengthening.

So that was it! During the time they had been apart, the Social Links he had formed with them had become weaker and weaker until they´d finally disappeared completely. Of course, the Personas of his companions had become weaker as well and had returned to their original state! ... Or maybe not...? Souji thought about it some more. Yes, the weaker bonds and thus Social Links could be explained because of him not being near them anymore, but the Personas had changed their form, because the others had completely accepted their hidden selves.

So their Personas being in their original states could only mean...!!! Souji swallowed... hard. He would have to keep a good eye on the others inside the TV world if he didn´t want to see Shadow Yukiko, Shadow Kanji and the other Shadows again.

Souji sighed. He would have to take advantage of his friends once again to strengthen the Social Links, just like back then. While he didn´t feel very guilty when he had to do this to people like the perverted nurse, he did feel a major guilt when he had to this to the people he held so dear in his heart.

"... Partner! Hey, Partner!"

Souji was thrown out of his thoughts and looked at Yosuke who had been in an argument with Teddie; at least it seemed like it seeing as how the two sat together on one chair and were pretty muched tangled in each other. But apparently Yosuke had noticed that Souji had been somewhere else with his mind in the middle of that argument, and now it looked like someone had pressed the `Pause´ button and made those two freeze on the chair.

"Everything alright?", Yosuke asked.

"Or do you need a beary heart-felt hug, Sensei?", Teddie asked, hopefully.

"Uwaaaah!!", Yosuke suddenly shouted and gagged, only now noticing how the position which he and Teddie were in would look to somebody else, and jumped back on his bed.

"N-no, Teddie. I´m fine. I was just thinking about something.", Souji hurriedly said. He wasn´t a homphobe like Yosuke, but he didn´t want to get another concussion like the one Teddie had caused him through his last `heart-felt hug´.

* * *

"G´night, Dad!", Nanako said at night, about to enter her room.

"Did you brush your teeth?", Dojima asked, looking up from notes he was analyzing together with his new colleague. He didn´t want to admit it, but that brat Shirogane had been an excellent help in all of the cases he had solved recently. No had to suffer almost non-stop, because his new colleague was a total amateur!"

"Yeah, of course.", Nanako answered. "Jack Frost did, too." She closed the door to her room behind her.

"Jack Frost?", Dojima´s colleague asked and looked up, puzzled.

"Her... Her imaginary friend.", Dojima hurriedly said.

"She still has an imaginary friend, at that age?"

Dojima threw a deathglare at him which made him shut up and return to studying the notes.

"So, if I understand correctly, the killer kidnaps the cildren everytime out of their closed rooms, without opening neither windows nor doors, rapes them and finally kills them. Right?", the colleague hurriedly said.

"Right.", Dojima said. _`That´s what we´ve been talking about for over half an hour. Seriously, how did that idiot manage to get to be a police officer...´_, Dojima thought while listening for any suspicious sounds that may come from his daughters room. Ever since that serial killer went around murdering children, he´d tried to be home at night if he could manage it. "But what perplexes me is that the same thing seems to be happening in Tokyo and other city´s at the same time as well.", Dojima added.

"So the killer´s at it in several cities at once?", his young colleague asked.

"Seems like it.", Dojima said. "But the problem is that one day a murder happens in city A, then a few hours later it happens in city B which is about 100 kilometres away from city A, and then suddenly it happens in city C which is even farther away. The killer can´t manage to travel between those places that fast. Not with all the police officers patroling around Japan lately."

Nanako was already asleep in her sleep, ovlivious to the curent worries of the world.

* * *

"Welcome to...", Igor started, but then stopped, wide-eyed, when he saw the Velvet Room´s form - a children´s playroom full oftoys and teddy bears. "... Velvet Room...?" Agis looked like she was about to vomit.

"Oooh, it´s sooo cool here!", Nanako shouted in excitement, jumped from the blue chair where the Velvelt Room´s guests always landed at first, and began playing with all those toys, accompied by Jack Frost.

* * *

Annotations: Well, I think the role Nanako plays in this story should slowly become more and more obvious. But that could only be me since I already know what´s going to happen. ^^;


	19. Chapter 19: Boy with blue hair

_**Chapter 19: Boy with blue hair**_

"Yosuke, wake up! Wake up, man!", Souji shouted for what seemed the hundredths time and shook Yosuke. No reaction.

"Wake up! Wake up!", Teddie said in a sing-sang voice and jumped around the bed in happiness. Souji stopped for a while to watch the blonde.

"How much sugar did you have in your cocoa, Teddie?", He asked.

"!!!!!!!!!", Teddie chuckled like a lunatic.

"Why do I even bother asking...", Souji sighed and looked back at Yosuke who just didn´t want to wake up. "Sorry, mate, but..." He took a deep breath and then screamed: "FAILSUKE!!! YOSUGAY!!! BAKAMURA!!!"

"WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!", Yosuke snarled, suddenly wide awake and swung his fist after the one that had insulted him. "WHO´S GAY, HUH!?"

"Sorry, it was the only way to wake you up.", Souji said, shrugging, already at the door. "I think it´d be best if you hurry. The seminar starts in exactly six minutes and 23 seconds."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?", Yosuke screeched, jumped op - knocking down Teddie in the process -, got tangled in the sheets and fell to the ground face-first, hard.

* * *

When Yosuke entered the amphitheater all of the students were already seated and writing down the things that were written on the board. Ikas smiled at him nervously.

_`Hm... I have to admit, she´s actually pretty cu--´_, Yosuke started, but then shook his head and turned towards the podium. "I´m sorry, professor Takedo, but I--" But he stopped when he didn´t see the perverted professor like usual, but his real professor for literature, Mr. Bagman, standing there and looking at him.

"What is the meaning of your coming too late, Hanamura?", Mr. Bagman asked with usual icy and harsh voice.

"I...", Yosuke started and stared at the head bandage the old professor wore. It seemed he wasn´t all that healed from his crash against the door yet. If he´d ever been hurt in the first place... "I-I had accidently dropped my cocoa on my teddy bear this morning and h-had to clean it up first." Derisive laughing from the other students followed, Ikas sighing dreamily. Yosuke´s face went beet-red in embarrassment. In the next moment his eyes went huge when Mr. Bagman petted his head in a fatherly manner.

"Good boy.", the old professor said and went back to writing on the board.

Yosuke stared at him for a while in confusion before starting to walk towards his usual seat.

"G-good morning, Yosuke-san...", Ikas whispered towards him.

"Morning...", Yosuke answered and nodded.

Heaving reached his seat, Souji threw a meaningful look towards him.

"What?!", Yosuke snapped.

"I think someone wants to adopt you as his son.", Souji said.

Yosuke´s face turned green in nausea in an instant.

"Dude, seriously! Someday I´m really gonna...", he grumbled while taking out his things.

"Promises, promises...", Souji chuckled. "But, kidding aside... You should have seen when he´d reached Kou´s name on the list. He hadn´t been surprised at all that he´d been missing."

"But Takedo could have told him about that.", Yosuke suggested.

"No, I´m completely sure she didn´t.", Souji disagreed. "Professor Takedo had wanted to start the seminar like usual today when Mr. Bagman had suddenly entered and wanted to know `what an old senile whore was doing in his seminar, especially siting on his podium´, meaning he´s never seen her before.

"So he´s beginning to sound like the killer more and more...", Yosuke whispered.

"Exactly.", Souji agreed. "So you´d better stay on his good side if you don´t want to end up like Kou. And this time I´m serious."

"Hm...", Yosuke looked at Ikas. Mr. Bagman was always picking on her. Maybe she would be the next one...

* * *

"Yesss! My skill level has increased!!", Teddie cackled like a lunatic while playing the online game once again on Yosuke´s laptop. "RuneScape´s just the thing for a poor bored bear like me!" He attacked a cow that one of the others had wanted to fight. "Hah, mine! Mine! MINE!!"

_`Hello, Sensei´sTeddie...´_, suddenly appeared as a message on the game´s screen.

"Oooh, he´s finally there!", Teddie shouted enthusiastically when a figure wearing black closthes approached his character.

_`Helloooo, BoyWithBlueHair! *waves*´_, Teddie greeted the other player.

_`I take it your well´_, the other player asked.

_`Yes, I feel beary good! ^^´_, Teddie answered and let his character jump up and down.

_`I´m glad.´_, the other player wrote while his character was attacking one of the cows with a bow. _`Say, can you tell me more about this other world. That sounds very... interesting...´_

* * *

A little bit tired, Souji returned to his lounge to change for the next visit inside the TV world.

Teddie lay on Yosuke´s bed, snoring.

Souji sighed. "Come on, Teddie, wake up! If Yosuke catches you sleeping on his bed, he´ll murder you.", the silver-haired man said, slightly annoyed, because he´d had to wake someone already this morning.

"Rmmmhmm... Kou...", Teddie mumbled in his sleep and rolled to the other side.

"Hm?", Souji looked at the blonde Shadow, eye brow raised.

"Kou...", Teddie mumbled again.

Souji scratched his head. Didn´t Teddie dream about Kou a few days ago, too? Maybe Yosuke had been right for the first time and Teddie was really g-- But then his eyes widened. Teddie had told him about his dream about a small male person in a world voll of fog. Kou was male and not really that tall! The world Teddie had been in his dream had been foggy! Soon after that dream Kou´s soul had been thrown into the TV world! And now Teddie always dreamed about Kou! As unbelievable as it sounded, but the blonde Shadow seemed to always end up inside the dungeon where Kou´s soul was captured in his dreams! And he´d already seen Kou in his dreams before his soul had been thrown in!!

"Very good, Teddie!", Souji said, elated. If the killer tried to push someone´s soul inside the TV, they would know beforehand this time. "Hey, Teddie! I´ve got some sugar for you!"

"!!!!!!!!!!!", the blonde Shadow shouted and jumped up, got tangled in the sheets and fell to the ground face-first.

"Hm... You and Yosuke could really be brothers..."

* * *

At the same time Mr. Bagman awoke from his sleep inside his office as well.

"Very good...", he said, content, grinned maliciously and went to his next seminar.

* * *

"So Teddie is some sort of antenna?", the blonde Shadow asked with huge eyes.

"It seems like it.", Naoto said. The group had gathered inside the cafeteria to get something to eat before they entered the other world again. "This will give us a great advance if the killer tries to throw someone inside the TV world again."

"Yes, that´s right.", Yukiko agreed. "But why Teddie of all people?"

"Hm... Teddie originates from the TV world.", Naoto said. "It could be connected to that."

"E-excuse me.", someone suddenly said. The others looked up and spotted Ikas Ito who stood in front them with her tray. "M-may I s-sit down here?"

"Of course!", Rise said and smiled at her.

"T-thank you...", Ikas mumbled and sat down beside Yosuke, whole body trembling. The music-loving man smiled at her while Chie promptly looked to the other side, scowling.

"Yo, everythin´ alright?", Kanji suddenly asked the young woman.

"E-eh?", Ikas looked up at him for a few seconds, then shyly looked back to her plate again.

"Kanji-kun is right. Your face is really pale.", Yukiko said.

"It´s... um... alright. I´m a-always feeling sick from time to time.", Ikas answered. "I-I´ve been like that s-since I was born. S-so you don´t have to w-worry..."

The others didn´t look all that convinced. She really looked pale.

"Hey, um... I know some really good medicine from Junes. Maybe I got get my dad to send it here.", Yosuke offered.

"E-eh? ... Th-thanks...", Ikas stammered and stared at Yosuke, face red.

Chie broke her cup.

"Ack! Watch it!", Youke shouted when the cup´s content squirted his way.

"Tch! Then just dodge it, Failsuke!", Chie snapped and stormed towards the toilettes to tend to her now bleeding hand, followed by Yukiko.

"What´s up with her?", Yosuke asked the others, confused.

"Oh, goody! I think that´s going to be sooo much fun!", Rise sighed and shook her head, not being able to believe that Yosuke could be that oblivious.

"Dumbass! Dumbass!! DUMBASS!!!", Chie screamed and punched the wall with her good hand again and again.

"Chie...", Yukiko said next to her, sad.

"Yosuke is such and asshole!", Chie continued in her rage. Yukiko hugged her soothingly while a silent tear ran down the brunettes face.

* * *

Annotations: Poor Chie...


	20. Chapter 20: Two sides of a person

_**Chapter 20: Two sides of a person**_

Annotations: Okay, a major fight is going to take place in this chapter so here are the links to the fitting music.

YouTube link: http://www[dot]youtube[dot]com/watch?v=eeFgnTgtcHo (replace "[dot]" with ".")

MediaFire link: http://www[dot]mediafire[dot]com/?zm1ijmgt44j (replace "[dot]" with ".")

* * *

Again the friends stormed through the prom that had been created by Kou´s thoughts and feelings.

"Ugh! How huge is this place?!", Chie whined while running through seemingly endless ballrooms and kicked the shit out of the Shadows that dared to get in their way.

"Ah hah hah hah hah!!!", they could hear someone laughing. "I hope you´re enjoying your stay here, my dear guests!"

"No, i don´t! That´s all just beary exhausting for such a cute little bear like me! And it´s stupid! And I´m beary cold! And I´m hungry! I want my money back!", Teddie complained.

"Shut it, stupid Thing!", Yosuke snapped and whacked him on the head."

"Oh no, no! Don´t just give up now, please! Come closer! Come closer! The main act will soon start!", Kou´s Shadow promised, his voice echoing through the rooms.

"I can feel his Shadow...", Rise said as they entered a new hall. "Not far away from here..."

"But before that...", Kou´s Shadow continued. "... a hot show act as a reward for all your efforts so far!"

Flames suddenly shot out of the walls.

"Wah! Oh fuck!", Yosuke howled, his behind now burning, and ran around the room in panic.

"Bufu!", Chie ordered her Persona that extinguished the fire on Yosuke´s behind while Teddie took care of the rest of the flames. "Failsuke..."

"Ack! You´re gonna pay for this tenfold, you rotten asshole!", Yosuke shouted.

"Please turn all your complaints towards the organiser.", Shadow Kou´s voice resounded through the hall, now rather businesslike.

"Okay, YOU´RE DEAD!!!", Yosuke screamed and stormed forward.

* * *

As always since the serial murderer had started wreaking havoc upon Japan, Nanako waited for her father to take her home from school. And as always she was the last one remaining on the school campus since her father was late again. Pouting, the girl sat on one of the swings and stared to the ground.

_`I wonder what Big Bro´s doing right now...´_, she thought miserably.

Ever since her cousin had left Inaba back then, everything had returned to the state it had been in before his arrival. Oh, his dad had tried hard in the beginning to take his time for her, but all efforts had more and more diminished after a while, and now Dojima was working almost all day long while Nanako was feeling left behind.

Yosuke-niichan and Chie-neechen had been at their house from time to time, but even Yosuke-niichan had visited less and less because of Junes. Big Bro´s other friends had mostly been too busy, only occasionally visiting, so that Chie-neechan had been the only one still visiting. But that was over now, too, since she and the others were at the University now.

She´d really like her Big Bro back at her home...

Hopefully, she´d have that dream about that cool room with all those toys tonight again. That and Jack Frost were her only comfort at the moment...

"What are you doing here all by yourself, young lady?", a rather gruff yet fatherly voice suddenly asked. Nanako looked up, perplexed, and gazed into the face of an older man, supporting his balance on his cane.

"Huh? I, um...", Nanako started, not really knowing how to react towards that unknown person.

"Nanako!!!", she suddenly heard her father shouting from the entrance of the school camps and whirled around.

"Ah, Dad!", she happily shouted and jumped up from the swing. But Dojima who had noticed the unknown man by his daughter was already running towards her.

"What do you want from my daughter!?", Dojima asked the other man, shoving his daughter behind him.

"There is no reason to worry, my dear.", the older man chuckled in amusement. "I am a teacher of this institute." He expanded his hand towards Dojima. "My name is Yosufu Bagman. Pleased to meet you."

"... Ryotaro Dojima.", Dojima said and finally shook Mr. Bagman´s hand after some hesitation.

"I assume you´re her father, aren´t you?", Mr. Bagman asked. Dojima nodded. "Very good. Then I don´t have to worry about that little lady anymore. There is currently some very bad human being on the prowl, you know."

"I´m well aware of that.", Dojima retorted.

"Well then, I can return to my office without any worry anymore and keep working on my documents.", Mr. Bagman said, bowed and wandered towards the school building. Dojima looked after the old man for a while until he´d entered the building, then went home with his daughter.

"Too bad...", Mr. Bagman mumbled in disappointment and disappeared into the ground moments later.

* * *

Souji and his friends reached - after what seemed an endlessly long stairs - a giant golden door, surrounded by an archway that announced _`Main event´_ in baroque letters.

"Are you still up for some more or should I warp us out of here?", Rise asked the others.

"I´m still ready to roll.", Souji said. "How about you all?" The others nodded, determined. "Okay, let´s get this party started...", Souji said, adjusted his glasses and opened the door.

"Welcome, my dear guests!", the voice of Shadow Kou greeted them, and the dense yellow fog that filled the room slowly faded away.

Row on row, festively adorned tables that were metres-long stood inside the huge hall, face-less people eating their feast. A red carpet in the centre of the hall directed them towards the other side of the hall where Shadow Kou stood in front of a podium, wearing a smoking and holding a microphone. And on the podium stood--

"Kou-kun!", Yukiko shouted when she noticed the basketball-loving man standing on the podium.

"G-guys!", Kou shouted, his body shaking slightly. "What´s goin´ on here, huh? Who´s that guy?!", he pointed at his Shadow. "Is this some kind of joke?!"

"It seems Ichijo´s soul has taken on a physical form in this world...", Naoto mumbled to herself.

"Stay calm, Kou, it´ll be over in a minute! You just have to--", Souji started, but Kou´s Shadow interrupted him by laughing loudly.

"Over in a minute?", the Shadow repeated and just his head in amusement. "Oooooh, no, no, no! The main act is about to start, my dear guests! You can´t just leave so suddenly!"

The meal suddenly disappeared from the tables, and the face-less people stared up at the podium which was now illuminated by floodlights, Kou in the center.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present you? Kou Ichijo, host of this amusing festive evening!"

"What the hell kinda crap are you talkin´ about, dude?! And why are you dressed as me?", Kou snapped at his Shadow and tried to leave the podium, without success. His feet seemed glued to the ground.

"But please do tell, Mr. Ichijo, isn´t it kind of insolent to just arrange a prom of the Ichijo´s?", the Shadow now asked and extended the microphone towards Kou.

"W-what?"

"Shouldn´t something like this rather be arranged by the true Ichijo heir?", the Shadow continued questioning.

"What the hell are you talking about?! I didn´t arrange this fucked up prom, and the true heir is in kindergarten right now!", Kou snapped.

"Oh hoh hoh hoh! Yes, that´s right!", Shadow Kou chuckled and turned towards the audience. "Ladies and gentleman, isn´t it downright amusing that a little girl can order around an adult, because she is the new head of the family? I think it is, don´t you?" The face-less guests began to laugh together with Kou´s Shadow.

"I-I...", Kou began.

"Don´t listen to him, Kou!", Souji shouted. "Whatever you do, don´t listen to all that nonsense it´s talking about or you´ll--" But he stopped when he realized that Kou could no longer hear him. "Damn..."

"Poor Kou Ichijo, always comes second, may it be among his family or among his friends.", Shadow Kou continued. "Who cares about some adopted brat if they have their own child. Adopting him had only been an act of desperation in oder to have someone take over the family anyway!"

"That´s not...", Kou started. "I know that that´s not..."

"Who cares about that little pest Kou Ichijo!", Shadow Kou suddenly spoke with a girly voice. "We´d rather go out with that tall, strong guy who he´s always with! That Daisuke is soooo cool!" Kou started shaking again. "Eww! How disgusting those bitches are! But at least they´ll take _some_ kind of notice of you as long as your together with that mount of flesh!"

"Not true...", Kou mumbled weakly.

"Kou-kun, always the nice guy people can just leave the dirty work to, like polishing those stupid basketballs after training!", the Shadow laughed. "He goes to University and studies so he can follow every single command of his cuuuuuute little sis in the future while she´s lounging on her golden throne!" Kou looked to the ground. "Don´t you get it!? You´re whole existence is a joke! You get to play the role of your life for the outside world while you´re taken advantage of behind your back constantly! And you going to that University..."

"Stop it already...", Kou pleaded, voice weak.

"You were sooo happy to leave everything and everyone behind, even if only for some time. But then, oh noooo, without that mount of flesh you can´t do anything, you won´t be noticed by anyone! Nobody knows about the great Ichijo family here, nobody cares about you! So that cool Souji Seta that everyone had looked up to had been just the right tool to avoid disappearing among the mass of students completely! Hah hah hah hah hah!"

"I..."

"It´s pathetic! On one side you don´t want to carry the burden of your family and you don´t want to be with all those idiots of the school, but on the other side your completely dependent upon it! Just decide already what it is you want!"

"... Sh-shut up!", Kou finally shouted. "You don´t know anything about me!"

"Ooooooh-hohohohoho!", the Shadow cackled. "Of course I know everything about you, my dear Kou! Because I am you after all, my friend."

"You...", Kou started.

"No, don´t do it, Kou!", Yosuke tried to stop him.

"YOU´RE NOT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Seconds later the room was veiled in deepest darkness, the tables shot to the sides and broke through the walls, effectively destroying them. The faceless people all dissolved into a giant puddle that moved towards Shadow Kou.

"So, I´m not you, huh?", the Shadow repeated in amusement, the dark aura around him becoming stronger and stronger. "Yes, how true... Because now I can _finally_be myself..." The puddle began surrounding him, and the next moment Kou fainted.

"Damnit!", Kanji shouted and took a fighting stance.

Rise hurried towards a corner to take shelter and summoned her Persona that veiled her eyes with a visor.

"I am a Shadow, the true self...", Kous Shadow spoke, the puddle slowly disappearing, a rather tall human-like figure appearing beneath it. "There are always two side of a coin...", the Shadow, a giant copy of Kou that was shrouded by a bright light, a halo over his head, continued. "Can you take care of both sides at once?" The group gasped in horror when the Shadow suddenly turned its head fully, and suddenly its body was shrouded by a dark aura, the halo disappeared and replaced by two horns on the Shadows head, his elegant clothing gone and replaced by torn clothes, like punks liked to wear them. Fur started germinating out of all of its body parts.

"Disgusting...", Chie said, her whole body shaking.

"Your Shadow didn´t look any better!", Yosuke reminded her.

"Shut up, Failsuke!"

The Shadow turned its head fully again, body now shining brightly and the halo over its head appearing again.

"You both shut up and now and concentrate on the fight!", Souji snapped at them, holding his sword tightly while the Shadow started wandering towards them.

* * *

"Oooooh! This is gonna be so much fuuuuuuun!", a person surrounded by darkness laughed, observing the spectacle inside the Prom Ball From Basket Hell throw some sort of crystal ball. From the giant golden door behind it, hushed voice and gentle scratching could be heard. The creature looked at the door and chuckled in delight. "I wonder who´s going to win... Will it all end today already? Or will the fun continue..."

* * *

Glistening light, originating from Shadow Kou´s body, shot through the whole room, the friends blinded and having to close their eyes.

"Aaaaaaaaah!!", Yukiko shouted when the Shadow had suddenly shot forward and kicked her towards the abyss that had been created when the tables had crashed against the walls.

"GARU!!", Yosuke ordered his Persona that managed to blow Yukiko away in time.

Shadow Kou´s head turned around its axis again, and in the next moment the whole room was shrouded in complete darkness.

"Shit! Someone got a flashlight?!", Kanji shouted, not able to see anything.

"Kujikawa! Where´s the Shadow?!", Naoto shouted.

"I-I don´t know! It just moves too fast!", Rise shouted back and gasped in pain the next moment when the Shadow grabbed her and started choking her.

"Stupid darkness!", Souji cursed and tried to make his way over to Rise to help her.

"Agi!", Yukiko shouted, her Persona trying to light the place, without success.

"Let... me... down...", they could hear Rise choking, followed by a loud gasp when Rise managed to kick the Shadow in his groin. "That´s what you get for... grabbing me...!", Rise managed to gasp when the Shadow released her.

Glistening light shot through the hall once more, blinding the group that had to close their eyes again.

"Ugh!", Naoto panted when the Shadow punched her in the stomach. She shot towards the direction the blow had come, but the Shadow had already disappeared.

"FUCKIN´ HELL!!", Kanji howled, the shot having grazed his shoulder.

"I´m sorry, Tatsumi!", Naoto apologized.

"Stupid Shadow thing!", Chie snapped and tried to manage to see something threw that bright light.

"That´s not good! As soon as we get used to the light, it´ll just cover the room in darkness! And as soon we get used to the darkness, he´ll let the bright light shoot through the room again!", Souji explained.

"Then we´ll just close our eyes until it´s dark again!", Teddie suggested.

"Ah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah! Then I´ll just let the light shoot through the room the whole time, you fools!", Shadow Kou giggled and kicked Teddie in his behind. Yukiko threw her fan towards the voice, but missed the Shadow.

"I missed...", she grumbled and took out a new fan.

Darkness began spreading throughout the room again.

"THERE!!!", Souji shouted and shot a salvo Zio at the place where the darkness started spreading.

"What the---?!", Shadow-Kou screamed, the room suddenly normally lit again. Dozens of elementary spells from the other party members shot towards him. "Whoa!" Shadow Kou jumped to the side, disappeared into the ground and reappeared somewhere else. The room was covered in darkness again.

"Aim at the point where the darkness or the bright light starts sprea--", Souji started, and gasped in pain when the Shadow punched him in the stomach.

"Stupid asshole!", Shadow Kou cursed and wanted to disappear in the ground again. But Souji grabbed him in time, even though his stomach hurt like hell now, and threw him against one of the remaining columns.

"Megido!", Naoto shouted, aiming towards where the ruckus could be heard.

"N... Not bad at all...", the Shadow panted from somewhere else. Yukiko threw her new fan at him again, but her adversary had already disappeared and reappeared somehwere else.

Glistening light started to spread out once again, the light originating from the room´s right corner.

"ZIO!!!", Souji and Kanji screamed.

"GARU!!!"

"BUFU!!!", Chie and Teddie screamed.

"AGI!!!"

"MEGIDO!!!"

The spells hit the Shadow all at once, the friends having seen through his strategy, and dissolved into some ink-like substance.

Kou slowly regained consciousness and looked at his Shadow self that had reappeared before him.

"I´m not...", he started hesitantly.

"Stop it, Kou! Do you want that thing to go berserk again!?", Chie snapped at him again.

"... Damn... Damnit all to hell!", Kou shouted and punched his Shadow. His fist went through its body.

Silence...

"Yes, damnit! He´s right, okay! Everything you said is correct! I... I feel like... I... I don´t even know _how_I feel... One side of me is so tired of my family, my friends, everything... The other side of me needs all that... I... I don´t know what´s going on in me myself anymore... But... But I know one thing for sure." He looked at the others. "You guys and Daisuke are my friends." His gaze rested on Souji. "No matter how much it annoys me that Daisuke and you get all the attention all the time when I´m with you, you´re both my friends." He looked at Shadow Kou. "You... You are me..."

The Shadow nodded and dissolved into bright light that started surrounding Kou´s body.

"Don´t tell me...!", Chie started, eyes huge, when a Persona appeared above Kou´s head in the next moment before he fainted once again.

Kou had done it: He had accepted his Shadow, tamed it and had received his own Persona, Siegfried of the Strength Arcana.


	21. Chapter 21: Kou saved!

_**Chapter 21: Kou saved!**_

The body of the unconscious Kou was still glowing brightly after his Persona Siegfried had entered his body.

"So from now on Kou-kun can...?", Yukiko started.

"It´s still too early to tell.", Souji said and shook his head. "Let´s just get him out of here first." He was just about to enter the podium when Kou suddenly started to disappear. "What?!"

"What the fu--?!", Kanji shouted and stormed towards the podium. Kou was already gone.

"What´s happened to him?!", Chie asked in slight panic.

"Rise!", Naoto looked at the teenie idol.

"I... I can´t feel him anymore...", Rise said, her Persona still veiling her face with the visor.

"But..."

"Kou´s soul´s returned to its body.", Teddie said.

"Huh?", Yosuke looked at him, puzzled.

"His sould had been held here by his Shadow. Now that the Shadow has been defeated and lost its power, the soul is no longer forced to stay here and can return to its body.", Teddie explained.

"Oh, good...", Souji sighed in relief and shouldered his sword. "Okay, guys, let´s get outta here."

* * *

"It didn´t work...", a person wearing clothes that made her look like a lift attendant said.

"Hmm...", a second person, taller than the first one, sighed next to her in deep thought. "That is true. But there is still next time."

"Next time...", the first person murmured and looked at the giant golden door they stood in front. Energy was slowly drifting from the Prom Ball From Basket Hell towards that door.

"Help me... Help... me...", a weak sounding voice could be heard from that door.

The first person shivered when hearing that voice, and repeated again: "Next time..."

* * *

It was already night when Souji and his friends left the TV world and crashed into Rise and Naoto´s lounge, landing on the ground.

"Urgh! Failsuke, get your foot out of my face!"

"Hey, don´t you dare start that now, too, Rise!", Yosuke snapped and jumped up.

"Ooops! Sorry!", Rise giggled.

Quietly, they hurried through the corridors, professor Takedo who had to patrol through the hallways this night throwing lustful looks at them, and entered Kanji´s lounge that was as messy as ever. Naoto sighed in disapproval, but looked up in relief when she saw Kou sitting upright in his bed.

"Kou!", Yukiko said happily, and the basketball-loving man stared at them, his face pretty pale.

"H... Hey...", he said, his voice weak, and tried to smile. "Guys, that... wasn´t a dream... was it?" Souji shook his head. "Oh... just as I thought..." His body started shaking. "Sorry..." He fainted the next moment.

"I guess everything that´s happened was a bit too much for his body.", Rise said while Souji checked Kou´s breathing, just to make sure.

"Well, what matters is that he´s alright.", Yosuke said.

"Until the next attack...", Naoto said and looked at Teddie. "Teddie, as soon as you start dreaming of that foggy corridor, you´ll tell us right away. Okay?"

"Yap! I´m going to keep my eyes and ears beary wiiiiiiiide open for it!", Teddie promised, face serious. Yosuke looked at him, annoyed. "What did I do now, Yosuke?!"

"Keep your eyes and ears open... while you´re sleeping?", Yosuke snorted and turned towards the lounge´s entrance door. "Well, I thing I´ll get some sleep. 'Night, guys!" He left the lounge followed by Teddie whistling cheerfully and Souji. "Aaah, I can finally relax a bit after the seminars and don´t have to worry about Kou all the time or run through stupid dungeons!"

"Yeah! I can finally play more RuneScape than usually!", Teddie giggled happily.

"Do you even care about anything other than that?", Yosuke sighed.

"!!!", Teddie hooted, but was quickly silenced by Teddie so that the blond Shadow couldn´t wake up the entire building.

"Why do I even bother to ask...", Yosuke grumbled and wandered as close to the wall as possible when he saw professor Takedo who was practically undressing him with her eyes, her tongue wetting her lips. "Anyway...", Yosuke continued when the always horny professor was out of sight. "... what´re gonna do tomorrow after the seminars are over, Partner?"

"Hm... I dunno yet.", Souji said, thinking. "... Do you know if there are some bulletin boards around here? Maybe I could find a part-time job or something like that."

"What?!", Yosuke shrieked, but hurriedly held his hands over his mouth. "You want to work after seminars?! Are you crazy?!", he hissed.

"Well... yeah...", Souji answered and thought about the Social Links he had found while working part-time; why shouldn´t the same thing happen again?

"Hm... Well, actually... that´s not a bad idea at all...", Yosuke suddenly mumbled.

"Hm? So you want to get yourself a part-time job, too?", Souji asked.

"Huh?! No way, dude!", Yosuke shouted and hurriedly held his hands over his mouth again. "Um... I mean..." Souji looked at him, puzzled. "I-It´s nothing... nothing at all... Hah hah..."

Still wondering about Yosuke´s strange behaviour, Souji followed the other two men inside the lounge they lived in.

* * *

Junpei Iori´s life had never been the happiest in the worl. His father had always been an alcoholic, and he´d never felt happy and welcomed at home. His school life had been a bit better, because he had found friends there that he could trust with his life, though most of the others in school had only thought of him as the funny clown he´d always had acted as. His time at Gekkoukan High´s dorm had maybe been the best time in his life.

But now, years later, he had reached a low point. At daytime he said inside his small flat, feeling completely useless and trying so hard not to start drinking like his father, while at night he worked at a fast food restaurant smelling like a dump, payment just enough to be still alive.

As always he worked at two o'clock in the night in that stinking restaurant, forcing himself to smile while selling already expired sausages and the likes.

"Hey, Junpei! There´s someone outside who wants to speak with ya!", one of Junpei´s colleagues suddenly called.

"Huh? Who?", Junpei asked and looked up from the counter. He didn´t really know anyone in this area.

"No idea. Some kinda a snobby bitch. She´s waitin´ at the back entrance.", the pretty chubby colleague said and returned to the kitchen to get some more curry.

Junpei stared after him for a while in confusion for a while, but then quickly finished the current order before he threw his apron to the side and went to the back entrance.

"Yeah?", he asked with a slightly hoarse voice. His eyes turned huge though when he noticed the person waiting in front of the restaurant, looking clearly disgusted while tapping her well-manicured fingers against the street lamp: None other than Mitsuru Kirijo, president of the Kirijo Group, was standing near the back entrance, a revolver into which the initials _´S.E.E.S.´_ were carved hidden behind the coat she was wearing.

* * *

Author´s comments: FINALLY!!! I had been sick the last days and unable to stare at the computer screen without vomiting! And I had just been itching to finally continue writing! URGH!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well, at least I have managed to arrange some sort of soundtrack for this fanfiction to which I can listen to while writing. ^^


	22. Chapter 22: In memoriam

_**Kapitel 22: In Memoriam**_

The graveyard, end of the line for every human being once they had lived through their life. Many people, often old ones, went to visit their dead beloved and lay flowers on their graves while talking about everyday life in hopes that the dead could still hear them, even after dying.

Other people though were too scared to come, knowing that someday they´d end up like all those people in their graves.

* * *

It was raining like mad on the next Saturday and fog had started to envelop Tokyo. The rain was thumping relentlessly against the window of Souji, Yosuke and Teddie´s lounge; Souji had left about an hour ago to go to his part-time job. And while the blond Shadow was killing NPC woman with sheer delight, Yosuke sat alone in the kitchen, a steaming cup of cocoa in his hands, and looked at the window, gaze glassy. A photo was lying on the table in front of him, showing him together with his colleagues in Junes, next to him Saki Konishi who was smiling and had draped an arm around him. The young man stared at the window for another while before finally hiding his face in his hands.

"April, the 14th...", he mumbled.

"Did you say something, Yosuke?", Teddie asked from the bedroom.

No answer.

"Hmm...", Teddie hurriedly grabbed his secret stash of pure sugar under his sleeping berth and consumed tons of it before resuming to chat with his online friend _`BoyWithBlueHair´_.

_`April, the 14th...´_, Yosuke thought. _`It´s... the first time I´ve forgotten this day since then...´_ He slightly lifted his head and stared at the photo which showed the smiling Saki - a fake smile, Yosuke had found out later. _`With University about to start and all the stress in Junes I just kind of forgot...´_ He sighed. _`Is it... really so hard to forget...?´_ He hid his face behind his hands again. _`No... it´s rather that I wanted to forget... yet it seems I wasn´t successful...´_

"Saki-senpai..."

* * *

Souji reached the house of the family Tajibayaki on time at late afternoon. The weather had turned even worse, so that it was already dark outside due to all the clouds. The fog was so thick you could see next to nothing anymore.

Hurriedly, the silver-haired man walked through the house´s front garden, rang the bell and waited.

After much searching he had finally found a job as a babysitter. He may not have had anything to do with babies yet, but he got along just fine with children. Whatever should go wrong?

The door was opened and a rather tall man with a huge belly appeared behind it. "Ah, Souji Sera, right?", the man asked.

Souji nodded. "Good afternoon, Tajibayaki-san."

"Ah, not so formal, my boy. Just call me Noboyuki.", the man named Noboyuki said and let Souji inside. Both men walked through the hallway and entered the living-room where a woman with huge amounts of make-up was cradling her three months old son.

* * *

Five minutes later - after they´d made sure that their babysitter was no pedophile -

the parents had left the house. Souji sat on the couch and turned on the TV, always looking at the baby sleeping sleeping peaceful in his cradle every few minutes.

_`This is gonna be the easiest part-time job I´ve ever had...´_, Souji thought, amused, yet slightly disappointed that no voice in his head had announced the establishment of a new Social Link yet. _`Oh well, I still get money for it.´_

"Wah wah wah!!", the infant suddenly screamed and started kicking.

"Okay, guess I´ve spoken too soon...", Souji said, turned off the TV and bent over the the cradle to lift up the little one. "Well, kid, what´s wrong?" A loud scream inside his ear was his only answer. "Oh, fuck, my ears!" He looked up in horror the next moment. "Err... Just forget I said that, 'kay?" He walked towards the kitchen to warm up one of the bottles with milk the mother had prepared beforehand, making sure not to let the infant fall down. "So..", he murmured and held the bottle towards the little one. The viscous content trickled down the infants cheek and continued on towards his diaper. "Oh boy..." He hurriedly grabbed one of the napkins that lay beside the shining microwave and cleaned the baby´s face. He looked at the still screaming infant, then started rubbing his cheek, holding the bottle towards him again. He didn´t know where he´d read about it exactly, but he remember reading that babies would start drinking when one rubbed their cheeks.

And the little one really drank...

"Oh, good...", Souji sighed in relief.

... and spat the milk at Souji´s face.

* * *

After he´d cleaned his face and the dirty kitchen, Souji wandered back towards the living-room, carrying the screaming infant he´d lovingly renamed `Spawn Of Satan´ where he lay him on the changing table and took of his diaper.

"Hm... You don´t need a new diaper..." The little one peed at his face in answer.

"YOU...!"

"... Is someone there?", an older woman - the voice at least suggested it - asked, followed by slow steps from the stairs. Souji looked up in confusion. So he wasn´t alone? But why did the Tajibayaki´s hire a babysitter then?

_`Maybe it´s a burglar...?´_, Souji thought, but then shook his head. That voice belonged to an older woman. Not very likely.

But he still returned the little devil towardsw his cradle to have his hands free, if it was someone unwanted who was currently wandering down the stairs.

"... Hello?", the woman asked again when in the next moment a small, grey-haired old woman, leaning on her cane and her face full of wrinkles, entered the living-room.

"... Hisano-san?", Souji asked, eyes huge.

The woman looked at him at confusion, then she said, her face radiant with joy: "Souji-chan!"

_`Yes! Jackpot!!´_, Souji thought, already happy about the new Social Link, but then gave himself an imaginary kick in the butt. He hadn´t only spend time with the woman just for the Death Social Link back then. Think like that was rather disgusting of him. _`Oh... and besides, the Death Social Link belongs to someone else now...´_, he added and thought about Ikas Ito.

"Souji-chan, what--?", the old lady said, but then stopped and sighed. "And I told them that we don´t need one..."

"Uh, I beg your pardon?", Souji asked.

"A babysitter, my dear, a babysitter.", Hisano answered and took the Spawn of Satan out of his cradle. The little one was quiet in an instant.

"But how did you...?!", Souji started, gaping.

"I´ve told my daughter and my son-in-law time and time again that I could take care of my grandson just as well.", Hisano said while sitting herself on the couch with her grandson. Souji sat beside her.

"So this is the place you moved to?", he asked.

"Yes...", Hisano answered and sighed again. "But I wonder... was it really such a good idea..."

"... What do you mean?", Souji asked, only now noticing that the old lady didn´t seem to feel comfortable in this house. "Is it about your grandson?"

"Hm? Oh no, Shinji is a little angel!", Hisano said, and a smile appeared on her face. Souji snorted in disbelief, but managed to mask it as a cough. "It´s about my daughter... She things I´m far too old to set even one foot outside of the house. And, as you can see, she doesn´t trust me to take care of Shinji, and rather hires a babysitter." She looked at Souji an smiled again. "But there´s one good thing about this whole ordeal: I was able to meet you again, Souji-chan."

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", a voice in Souji´s head suddenly said, and surprised the young man who hadn´t expected the establishment of a Social Link anymore. "Thou hast established a new bond..." The card of the Temperance Arcana appeared before his eyes. "It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperance Arcana..."

_`Shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperance Arcana?´_, Souji repeated sneeringly in his mind. _`Not very likely with the disappearance of that Philemon...´_

* * *

It was still raining relentlessly, even in Tatsumi Port Island which was more than a few kilomtres away from Tokyo. The graves of the city´s graveyard seemed to macerate because of all that water.

Akihiko Sanada who was leaning over one of the graves didn´t really seem to bothered while staring at the tombstone which read _`Miki Sanada_´. To Akihiko´s right was another grave which read _`Shinjiro Aragaki´_.

"... How was it?", he finally asked Mitsuru Kirijo who stood behind him, an umbrella protecting her from the rain.

"Just as I expected.", Mitsuru answered and took out a revolver under her coat. "He refuses to help us."

Akihiko sighed. "He´s always behaved like a little child. But this isn´t the time to be resentful for not visiting him often enough. If the Shadow really still exist after the disappearance of Tartarus and the Abyss of Time, then we have no other choice but to act, as quickly as possible."

"I feel the same, Akihiko.", Mitsuru said. "But I don´t think that´s the only reason why Iori doesn´t wish to join us."

"There´s another reason?", Akihiko asked and stood up from the muddy ground.

"He´s working at a rather... shady place.", Mitsuru said, feeling slightly disgusted by the memory of the fast-food restaurant. "I think all that time living in poverty has gotten to him and he´s feeling inferior."

"That´s none of my concern. We´d offered him financial backup back then which he´d refused."

"Akihiko..."

"What?!", the silver-haired man growled.

"You´ve changed.", Mitsuru said. "You´ve gotten cold-hearted. And I don´t really think it would be advisable to lapse into the behaviour I had for so long."

"I... apologize.", Akihiko said and looked the graves of the two people who had been the closest to him together with Mitsuru. "But I won´t let the Shinji and Chidori´s sacrifices be in vain! Chidori gave her life for him, and he´s just throwing it away like that!"

"I know...", Mitsuru said.

"And under no circumstances will I allow _HIS_ sacrifice to be in vain...", Akihiko added.

He didn´t need to name _HIM_; Mitsuru knew in an instant to whom Akihiko was referring to: Minato Arisato... his sacrifice had been the greatest of all...

"What about Amada?", Akihiko resumed asking.

"He´s currently overseas and goes to school there.", Mitsuru answered. "I´ve send someone already. It will take some time because of the distance, but I´m sure he won´t refuse our request." Akihiko nodded in contentment. "Did Yamagishi accept her Evoker?"

"Yes...", Akihiko said and looked thoughtfully. "Though I´m sure she´s hiding something."

"And that would be?"

"I still don´t know. I´ll have to investigate."

"Acceptable. But don´t treat Yamagishi like an enemy.", Mitsuru admonished him. "She is one of us, reliable, Akihiko."

"Okay.", Akihiko said. "What about Takeba?"

"Her wherabouts as well as those of Aigis´ are currently unknown.", Mitsuru informed him.

"Hm...", Akihiko looked to the ground in thought. "Takeba, okay. But Aigis? She´s always made sure to let the Kirijo Group know where she is."

"Regrettably, I don´t know anything about it.", Mitsuru said.

"Hm... And what about our white flea circus?", Akihiko asked and smiled.

"I think he´s currently sleeping in his basket in my room after visiting the shrine and eating his dinner.", Mitsuru answered, the tiniest hint of asmile appearing on her face as well.

"At least someone is on our side...", Akihiko sighed.

"Akihiko...", Mitsuru said and looked at the young police officer in pity. "Are you sure that this profession is the right one for you? You may seem strong and unapproachable on the outside, but we both know how you really are."

"I won´t stop.", Akihiko said. "I wasn´t able to protect the person that I had cared the most about when I was still weak..." He looked at his dead sister´s grave. "... and even the power of the Persona couldn´t help me..." He stared at Shinjiro´s grave. "I swear, I won´t stop until we´ve defeated the Shadows once and for all." He looked at Mitsuru again. "And about that serial killer murdering all those children: If I find him I´ll tear him to pieces, I swear!" He nodded towards the graves as if to say goodbye and walked towards the exit, followed by a sighing Mitsuru who eventually caught up to him and held the umbrella over his head.

What both of them didn´t notice was Mr. Bagman who was hiding in the bushes near the graves, and was now staring at Akihiko´s sister´s grave, smiling, before disappearing into the ground.

* * *

Author´s note: Wow! Someone (on another site where I´m posting the fanfiction in German) managed to find out who the killer is and could give me the reason why he/she did it! *sends cookies to that person*


	23. Chapter 23: Social Link Marathon

_**Chapter 23: Social Link Marathon**_

"Hwataaaah!", Chie shouted and scrunched about the hundredth piece of wood. "Phew!", she sighed, thankfully took the towel that Souji gave her, getting all the sweat out of her face. "That´s what I call a perfect training! I´ve never felt so refreshed after that!"

_`Is she actually talking about training or something else...?´_, Souji wondered, mind stuck in the gutter, and smiled in amusement.

"Back then when I was still in Inaba Failsuke had actually to train with me! Can you believe that?! _FAILSUKE BAKAMURA_?! Ah hah hah hah!", Chie laughed and let herself fall to the ground. "Oh man, I´m beat..."

"But he sure got some good moves...", Souji mumbled, remembering the time they´d had that brawl on the Samegawa Riverbed.

"Hm?", Chie looked up questioningly.

"Y-you got some pretty good moves!", Souji hurriedly said and helped her up.

"Hm... You think?", Chie asked and did some more kicks. "Well, doesn´t mean I can´t better anymore! Practise makes perfect!" She looked at Souji. "But wasn´t that nice of Yamagishi-sensei to allow us to train using all that wood?"

"Uh... yeah." Souji looked at all the scrunched wood. "Even though that wasn´t really all that altruistic of her. That´s firewood for about a year!"

Chie only shrugged. "So, next week, same time?"

"Of course!", Souji said and smiled.

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", a voice started to speak in his head, and the Arcana _Chariot_ appeared before his inner eyes. "Thou hast revived and old bond from the depths of its deepest slumber... It brings thee closer to the truth behind thruths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana..."

Satisfied, Souji felt the reawakening of the old Social Link while the two of them went back to their lounges.

* * *

"Get away from my laptop already!", Souji heard Yosuke shout when he´d reached the entrance to his lounge.

"But... But...", the blond Shadow sniffed when he was thrown out of RuneScape by Yosuke.

"No buts! Unlike you I still have to finish that metres-long essay for Bagman! Go do something else!", Yosuke snapped and opened a Word data file. Teddie sat himself into a corner, looking miserable.

"You can use my laptop, Teddie.", Souji said when he entered the bedroom.

"Sensei! Thank youuuuuuuuuuu~!", Teddie shouted elation and happily jumped into Souji´s arms. "You´re the best Sensei in the whooooooooole word!" Amused, Souji patted his head, and the Shadow stormed towards the laptop to continue wreaking havoc upon the virtual word.

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", a voice began speaking in Souji´s head, and Souji saw the _Star_ Arcana appearing.

_`Nice... Two in one day...´_, he thought, satisfied. _`Haven´t lost my touch!´_

"Thou hast revived and ol--"

_`Yeah, yeah, I know that already back from a few minutes ago.´_, Souji interrupted, lay on his bed and began reading the technology book professor Yamagishi wanted them to finish until next week.

"Chrm, chrm...", the voice angrily harrumphed. "Thou hast revived and old bond from the depths of its deepest slumber..."

Souji yawned, bored.

"................................... It brings the closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Star Arcana..."

Only now did Souji notice that someone was staring at him. He looked up at the slightly annoyed face of Yosuke.

"... What?", he asked.

"Shoul that computer- and sugar-addicted bear get angled eyes or seizure disorder in the future, I´ll send the bill for the doctor to you!", Yosuke grumbled and resumed writing his essay.

"Yes, mom...", Souji laughed.

Yosuke threw a deathglare at him. "I´m not girly! I´m his big bro--", he started snapping, but stopped in horror when he saw Teddie´s eyes that had started to water. "I... I, uh..."

"Yosukeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I love you, toooooooooooooooooo!", Teddie shouted and pounced on the other man, effectively making him and Yosuke falling onto Yosuke´s bed.

"Ag! Go away! No! Stop it! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!", Souji could hear Yosuke screeching in the background while he resumed reading, especially motivated now that he´d managed to get on his best friend´s nerves.

* * *

Night of the following day...

"Y-yo, Senpai...", Kanji started to speak in his lounges while he and Souji were sewing hand puppets. Kou had gone back to his parents for a while to relax a bit, but would be back soon.

"Hm?", Souji looked up from his work.

" 's it really okay to do that 'gether with me?", Kanji asked. "I mean, Yosuke-senpai´s gonna start spoutin´ his nonsense again."

"Yosuke has cuddled aaaaaaall lovey-dovey together with Teddie yesterday.", Souji only said. Kanji gaped, eyes huge. "In his bed.", Souji added.

Silence...

The next moment Kanji got a laugh attack á la Yukiko that only stopped when he crashed to the floor head-first.

"Ow, fuck!", Kanji groaned and sat back on the bed, rubbing his head. "Wonder how Yukiko-senpai always manages that without havin´ ta go to the hospital..." He looked at Souji, unbelieving, who was sitting on Kou´s bead. "You serious?!"

"Yap. You can ask Teddie, if you don´t believe me.", Souji said.

"Hah! He´d better not try sayin´ shit about me again! That´s perfect blackmail material!", Kanji laughed triumphantly and resumed sewing.

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", the voice began speaking in Souji´s head.

_`Thou hast revived and old bond from its deepest slumber... It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana... Bla bla bla... Finished?´_ Souji could hear an offended `Hmph´, then it was quiet in his head.

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", Souji and Kanji suddenly heard someone scream from the hallways, followed by loud knocking on the door. Both men stared at each other in confusion before Kanji finally stood up and opened the door.

"WHERE IS HE!?", Rise shouted, immediately stormed through the hallway and entering the bedroom. "Senpai!", she happily shouted, jumped on the bed and clinged to Souji. "Oh god, I´m so happy you´re okay!" She glared at Kanji. "I was going to visit you, but Yosuke-senpai said you´d gone to Kanji to do `some nasty gay things´! I was soooooo worried about you!" The entrance door was opened and closed with a loud `BAM´.

_`Looks like Kanji´s going to visit Yosuke now...´_, Souji thought and wondered if maybe he should help his best friend. _`Nah! That´d take to much effort...´_

"Ooooh, Senpai! What´s that?", Rise asked and pointed at the hand puppet on Souji´s lap that was nearly finished. "Its soooo cute!"

"You can have it if you want.", Souji said.

"Really?! Oh, thank you, Senpai! You´re my number one!", Rise giggled and threw herself at him.

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", Souji heard the voice in his head start again, seeing the _Lovers_ Arcana before his eyes. Souji threw an annoyed glare at the voice, and it finally stopped talking, a sing reading _`Currently striking!´_ appearing before him. Souji grinned triumphantly.

"!!!!!!!!!!!!", Souji suddenly heard Yosuke screaming from the hallways.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU SON OF A...!!!!!!!!!!", Kanji shouted.

"WHAT´RE YOU GONNA DO WITH THAT BROOM, DAMNIT?!?", Yosuke screeched.

"I´M GONNA STICK THAT INTO A PART OF YA WHERE IT HURTS MOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Uuuuh..."

Teddie suddenly entered the unlocked lounge. "Sensei, I think Kanji wants to score with Yosuke..."

"It... sounds like it...", Rise slowly said, her eyes still huge.

"Sensei... does scoring really hurt that much? Yosuke looked really scared...", Teddie asked and hung his head."O-of course not, Teddie.", Souji hurriedly said. "Isn´t that right, Rise?"

"U-uh, yeah, he´s right, Teddie. It doesn´t hurt at all.", Rise said and nodded hurriedly.

"Oh..." Teddie suddenly stared at Rise´s breats. "May I try scoring with you then, Rise-chan?" He tried grabbing those breasts.

"HANDS OFF! SOUJI-SENPAI ONLY!!!!!!!!", Rise screamed and slapped him.

* * *

About two hours later, when Souji and Teddie had returned to their lounge, Yosuke finally got back, walking funny.

"Yosuke! Yosuke! Did Kanji score with you?", the blonde Shadow asked in excitement and jumped up from his sleeping berth. Yosuke only glared at him and locked himself up in the kitchen, weeping in misery.

* * *

Author´s note: Uh... Yeeeeeaaaaah... *no comment*


	24. Chapter 24: Welcome to the team!

_**Chapter 24: Welcome to the team!**_

It was still early that morning - the sun hadn´t risen yet - when two beings entered the PC of Tanaba University.

"So you followed my invitation...", the first person who was definitely bigger than the second one said.

"I had actually meant to spare you, but of those provocative threats are starting to get bothersome.", the second person said. "And isn´t it about time you start acting in accordance to your nature again, _Yosufu_."

The first person - Mr. Bagman who was leaning on his cane - laughed in amusement. "That´s a laugh, my dear! My, really! Ah hah hah!"

The other person startled slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know very well what I mean: _`I am a Shadow... The true self...´_ I am merely acting in accordance to his true desires."

"Foolish Shadow!", the person snarled.

"`Foolish´, you say?", Mr. Bagman repeated, still completely amused. "But you yourself are a--"

"MEGIDOLOAN!!!", the person screamed. A giant sphere of pure energy shot through the room towards Mr Bagman who blocked the attack with a strange looking silhouette that knocked it further towards a wall where it exploded. Loud screams could be heard, from the lounges - the explosion must have woken every single student - as well as from the silhouette that was slowly disappearing. "Don´t you dare say it!!!"

"Oh my! Would you look at that! Because of you I had to sacrifice one of my precious resources that I have been gathering for months now! And you have also broken one of this university´s rules! You can´t just disturb everyone´s rest!", Mr. Bagman protested. He made a gyrating motion with his cane, and suddenly dozens of rings of fire appeared out of nowhere. They started circulating the other person´s body and starting contracting. The person clicked their fingers, and the rings shot back towards the old professor who managed to dodge just in time, one of the rings still barely scratching his right leg.

"Just give it up, old man.", the person said. "You are 30 years too old to be able to win against me." Mr. Bagman´s grin suddenly disappeared. "Oh yes, my dear Yosufu. I know exactly what you are trying to do. But it won´t work. Nobody has ever succeded!"

"May I remind you that it is your plan that is more absurd?", Mr. Bagman replied in malice. "We´re both yearning for the impossible, and you know!"

"What I´m desiring is NOT impossible!", the person shouted, and sparkles started to fly up around their body.

"Such a fascinating temperament!", Mr. Bagman said and started applauding. A quiet noise could be heard from behind the podium. "... Oh, it seems like we had some unexpected spectator." The old professor turned towards the podium and spotted a female student that stared back at him, body trembling in fear. "Oh, not you again, my dear! Do you always have to anger me?!" He raised his cane. "I think I have to start using stricter punishments..."

Another eplosion followed, waking even the last sleeping citizen of Tokyo.

* * *

"And?", Souji asked Naoto, having gathered in front of the PC together with the other and dozens of curious onlookers.

"The Public Center is completely destroyed.", Naoto answered. "There must have been some fierce battle going on. And..."

"And?", Kou asked, having just returned to University yesterday.

"... We found a corpse near the podium.", Naoto said, depressed. Yukiko groaned in agony and started shaking.

"Hey...", Chie said and soothingly hugged her friend.

"... Do they already know who the victim is?", Souji asked.

Naoto shook her head. "No. The victim´s body is completely burnt.", she explained. Yukiko´s body started shaking even more. "They´re currently going through the list of students to check who the victim is... if it even is a student of this University." Akihiko Sanada, followed by a few other police officers, stormed through the hallway past them and threw an analyzing glare towards Souji before he entered the PC. "I´ve already let them write you down as `present´ so they won´t ask for you."

"Good, thanks.", Souji said and looked at the others. "Let´s... Let´s just go back to one of the lounges and talk." He threw a meaningful look towards Kou.

* * *

They entered Souji, Yosuke and Teddie´s lounge and sat themselves inside the kitchen, just like they´d done back then when the first corpse had been found in the University.

"So...", Souji started and looked at Kou. "I´m sure you got many questions to ask. Shoot."

Kou hesitated. "And you... you promise you won´t try to tell me lies at one point?", he finally asked.

"If you don´t believe us just ask Failsuke. He´s so dumb he just can´t lie!", Chie said.

"Hey!", Yosuke snapped at her and jumped up.

"What?!", Chie snarled and jumped up as well.

"Do I really have to remove the both of you from this lounge?", Naoto asked calmly, though her tone was rather threatening.

"Sorry...", both of them mumbled and sat back down.

"Okay...", Kou started.

* * *

About half an hour later they still sat inside the kitchen, drinks before them, and Kou´s face got more and more amazed.

"Personas... TV world... Humans who appear dangling from antennas after a foggy night...", he mumbled while staring at his cup of tea. "So Saki-senpai was..." He looked at Yosuke who nodded. "And King Moron...?"

"No. Mr. Morooka had been killed by a copycat murderer.", Naoto corrected him. "The only victims were Naoto Namatames ex-wife and Saki Konishi. But there could have been many more..." Kou looked at everybody currently present in this room. Nearly everybody had merely been killed by their Shadow inside the other world.

"Thats all... so damn difficult to believe...", he said. "But... everything that´s happened in Inaba back then... and what happened to me... The only possible explanation for it would have been that I had just dreamed everything. But you could also tell everything that had happened in that strange prom, so you must have experienced it as well." He looked at Souji. "I believe you."

"Very good.", Souji said and nodded.

"And you´re really a Shadow?", Kou asked and stared at Teddie in curiosity.

"Yap, live and in action!", Teddie proudly announed.

"But you don´t look any different from us.", Kou said.

"Well, he´s an exeption.", Kanji shrugged.

"Huh?"

"We don´t really fully understand it ourselves.", Naoto said. "But it seems that if a Shadow is possible to react towards humans feelings and can even reciprocate those feelings, it can become a human-like being. That´s what we believe, but..."

"But?"

"We don´t really know how that actually happened.", Yukiko said.

"Yap, I´m a rather complex bear, if I do say so myself!", Teddie giggled.

Yosuke started coughing in disbelief. "The only thing that´s constantly on your mind is sugar and RuneScape!"

"That´s not true at all, Yosuke! You don´t have to be so beary mean to me all the time!", Teddie whined. "There´s something else on my mind other than that, of course! Scoring with Rise-chan, for example!" His hands started wandering towards Rise who slapped him instantly.

"... Scoring?", Kou asked, puzzled.

"Just ignore him.", Chie sighed.

"So, Ichijo-san, are you willing to join our investigation team?", Naoto suddenly changed the topic.

"I...", Kou started.

"Naoto!", Rise butted in. "You can´t just ask him like that! You´re practically forcing him to joing!"

"... My apologies.", Naoto said.

"Kou...", Souji started. "We´re giving you a choice. You can help us since you´ve got a Persona now. But we´re not forcing you to join. In that world there are dozens of Shadows who are going to try to kill you without blinking an eye. Please thing about it carefully before deciding." Kou nodded.

"Personally, I think having the gift of the Persona´s power bestowed upon one means one is obligated to fight.", Naoto added.

"Naoto!", Chie and Yukiko interfered. Naoto looked to the side in annoyance.

"Ah hah hah hah!", Kou laughed. "Man, you´re one crazy bunch, guys! As if I´d miss an adventure like that!"

"It´s not an...", Souji started.

"Not an adventure, I know.", Kou interrupted him. "But I won´t look away now that I know what´s happening, now that I know that you´re always risking your life inside that world. I couldn´t stand it for you all to die in there while I could´ve been there to help you..." His amused look got serious all of a sudden. "I´m going to fight as well!"

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", the voice in Souji´s head started speaking, and the sliver-haired man immediately felt the Fool Social Link strengthening.

At the same moment, Fuuka Yamagishi wandered through the hallways near the lounge, and stopped when she felt the Social Link´s aura. "Again...", she mumbled, eyes huge. "Minato..."

"Thy bond hast matured and riseth to new strength... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana...", the voice continued, and Souji felt that strong heat inside his heart.

"Welcome to the team, Kou-kun!", Teddie shouted and jumped into Kou´s lap in excitement.

"Um... keee...", Kou said with a o.0-face.

"Get off him, you part-time molester! Do that on Kanji´s lap!", Yosuke snarled.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?", Kanji shouted. "Do you want to have another date with the broom, Yosuke-senpai!?"

"Uh... um...", Yosuke stammered and made himself as small as possible on the chair.

"Sometimes I really wonder if it´s such a wise decision to associate with certain individuals of this group, and if my brain won´t suddenly start shrinking because of it.", Naoto sighed and shook her head. Both men threw glares at her which she contered with one of her deathglares. Yosuke and Kanji backed away immediately. Loud noises could be heard from outside.

"It seems they´re still investigating.", Chie said.

"I think that´s understandable. The whole PC has been obliterated at once.", Yukiko said. "They probably think it must have been some... I don´t really know... terrorist attack..."

"Yeah. After all, they don´t know that some kinda freak just used their hocus-pocus ta make things go `BOOOM!´.", Kanji said.

As crude as Tatsumi´s explanation may sound, yes, that is the case.", Naoto said. "The culprit is probably the same person who killed Sideu´s roommate and pushed Ichijo-senpai´s soul into the TV." She looked at the list of suspects. "I think we can cross out Adachi-san. He may be able to use TV´s to appear wherever he wants in order to kill other people or to push them into TV´s. But he doesn´t have the power to destroy a whole giant hall in an instant.

"He has a Persona, though.", Rise said.

"That is correct. But I have yet to see a Persona in our world.", Naoto said. "I had once tried to summon my Persona in our world, shortly after training inside the TV world for the first time. I didn´t succed in summoning it, no matter how often I tried."

Souji thought back to the moment Izanagi had tried to break free from his body, shortly after the first woman had been killed in Tanaba University. If what Naoto said was true, then he´d found yet another anomaly of the Wild Card. Was it possible that only he as a Wild Card could summon a Persona outside of the TV world?

"Okay, so Adachi seems less suspicious now.", Yosuke said. "But what´re we gonna do if it´s really him committing all those crimes?"

"Then we can´t do anything.", Naoto said. "As long as we are in this world, we have to abide by its rules. Our only chance to do something is if we manage to catch him in the act and confront him inside the TV world."

"I still think that old geezer is behind all o´ this!", Kanji said. "That Bagman guy is practically laughin´ at us everytime we see him! He´s makin´ fun o´ us!" He looked at Kou. "Come on, man! Did you really see nothing when you were pushed into the TV?"

"No. As I´ve already told you, nobody´s been in the lounge together with me.", Kou said. "I... Well, you know, when I came back from the toilette, I went to the lounge to get some rest first. And then suddenly... the TV turned itself on and my Shadow appeared on the screen." He shuddered. "He started babbling all those things that you heard when you rescued me. He just didn´t stop, and it got worse and worse, and finally... I just didn´t know what to do to make him stop anymore. Screaming and everything else just didn´t work, so I smashed the TV screen with my fist..."

"Yes, that explains all that blood on the screen shards and your wounds.", Naoto said, nodding.

"I was just about to lay on the bed to tend to my wounds... when that thing - my Shadow - suddenly came out of the TV and punched its fist right into my body, as if I were made of water.", Kou resumed.

"That´s where he stole your soul.", Teddie said.

"And I... I just can´t remember any more after that...", Kou said. "I... I _think_ I saw something floating in the mirror above the TV, but that could have been anything..."

"You saw something floating? And you didn´t tell us?!", Naoto said, suddenly going to into full-blown detective mode again.

"I... but... I´m sure that was just someth--", Kou started.

"How did it look like?", Naoto asked.

"I´m... not really sure.", Kou said, trying to remember.

"It was something long, like a curtain who got blown every which way by the wind... But I´m sure I was just imagining things..."

"Tatsumi, is there a curtain that could have been mirrored?", Naoto asked.

"Uh, not that I know of.", Kanji asked.

"Hm...", Naoto looked at Yukiko who looked back questioningly. "Hmmmmmm..."

"What´s wrong?", Souji asked.

"If you´re suspecting Yukiko, Naoto, then--", Chie started angrily.

"No, no, nothing of the sort.", Naoto assured her. "I was just thinking that..." She looked at Rise. "No, forget it..." She stood up. "Alright, seminars are going to start in a bit. But before that I´ll be heading over to Akihiko-san to ask him if he´s found out who the victim is by now." She bowed before Kou - "Welcome to the team, Ichijo-san." - and left the lounge.

"Oooooooh, not _`Sanada-san´_, but _`Akihiko-san´_?", Rise said and threw a meaningful look at Kanji. "You´d better hurry, Kanji, or that good-looking police officers going to steal her away from you!"

"Wh-what the hell...?!", Kanji shouted and jumped up. "I´m goin´!" He looked at Kou. "You comin´?"

"Uh, yes, wait a minute.", Kou said, finished his tea and followed Kanji.

"Hm... Or maybe Kanji´s got the hots for Kou... Let´s see what my gaydar says.", Rise said, thinking.

"I´M NOT GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", Kanji could be heard screaming from the hallways. The others just ignored him.

"Hey, where´s Teddie?", Chie suddenly asked, only now noticing that the blond Shadow wasn´t inside the kitchen anymore.

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", Teddie suddenly could be heard screaming from the bedroom, followed by the NPC women´s loud screams of pain.

* * *

"I figured as much...", Yukiko sighed and left the lounge together with Chie and Rise.

* * *

Author´s note: Before anyone asks: Yes, I know that the cast in Persona 3 can use their Personas outside of the TV world. That will be explained later in the story.


	25. Chapter 25: The interrogation

_**Chapter 25: The interrogation**_

Yosufu Bagman´s office wasn´t really decorated in a welcoming style. Only an old working table full of documents, an old fauteuil on one side of said table and a small wooden chair on the other side were placed in the rather large room.

So it was no wonder that Akihiko Sanada stopped dead in his tracks to look around in confusion when he entered the room after Mr. Bagman had admitted him inside.

"Whatever can I do for you, my dear?", Mr. Bagman finally asked and looked up from his documents when Akihiko made no movement whatsoever.

"... Oh, I just need to ask you a few obligatory questions that every professor has to answer.", Akihiko finally said and sat down on the uncomfortable wooden chair that was so small that Mr. Bagman who sat on the huge fauteuil seemed like a giant; a formidable tactic to scare the students that had to come to the old professor´s office.

"Well, then do start asking, my precious.", Mr. Bagman said, lay aside his pencil, documents and reading glasses, folded his arms on the table and lay his chin on them.

"As you sure know, something horrible has happened this morning.", Akihiko started to speak, not in the least impressed by Mr. Bagman´s obvious methode to scare him.

"Yes, one really couldn´t miss that.", Mr. Bagman agreed. "Such loud noise! How dare they disturb the students´ sleep like that!"

Akihiko stared at the old man, one eyebrow raised; a whole hall had been destroyed in a few seconds and he was worrying about trivial things like waking up others because of the loud noise. The police officer´s gaze hardened.

"A corpse has been found beneath the ruins.", he finally said.

"Was it a student of this University?", Mr. Bagman asked, rather uninterested.

"We assume as much.", Akihiko said.

"Oh, then all is well.", Mr. Bagman said. Again, Akihiko raised one of his eyebrows. "Oh come on, my dear! This institution if full of bastards, whores and perverts that only care about getting layed! Probably even without using condoms, thus the bitch suing the idiot who made the child for the rest of his life and living off of our country´s resources! Good gracious! Just what has become of our world!" The old man inhaled and exhaled deeply and tried to calm himself down.

"It seems our opinions differ in that aspect... they differ greatly.", Akihiko replied.

"Oh? How unexpected.", Mr. Bagman said.

"Hm? Why?"

"Oh, nothing, my dear, nothing.", Mr. Bagman said and looked at his wrist watch. "Excuse me, my precious, but the next seminar is about to start. I think you wanted to ask me certain questions?"

"Oh! Yes, of course!", Akihiko said. "Did you notice something or someone suspicious yesterday night or this morning?"

"Ooooh yes, of course I noticed something!", Mr. Bagman said and nodded. "Rotten litte students lingering around the crime scene, just waiting for an announcement that todays seminars will be canceled! But I won´t stand for it! Oh no!"

"... Something else?", Akihiko asked.

"Hm... Let me think about it...", Mr. Bagman said, seeming to be lost in thought. "Yes, there is something else."

"And what would that be?"

"I heard something most upsetting, my dear. Is it true that one of this University´s students is helping the police in solving the case?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?", Akihiko asked, puzzled.

"Oh, just mere curiosity.", Mr. Bagman answered. "But it really is questionable how low the police´s quality must have sunken if they have to ask a little brat for help."

Akihiko had to restrain himself from shouting or using his fists for physical damage. The more he had to stay in this man´s presence, the more angry he got. "I am sorry if this sounds rude to you, but the police´s affairs are of no business to you, professor Bagman."

"Oh, of course not.", Mr. Bagman agreed and laughed. "I was just stating my surprise in regards to that."

"In any case, you still haven´t really answered my question about whether you´ve seen something or someone suspicious.", Akihiko said. "So I can assume you didn´t see nor hear anything. Is that correct?"

"Oh, but I did.", Mr. Bagman disagreed.

"I am sorry, professor Bagman, but the daily goings-on of the students are of no concern for the police if it doesn´t involve violence or vandalism.", Akihiko said.

"Oh, no, no, no, my dear.", Mr. Bagman said. "I was just about to tell you about that brat that seems to be helping the police."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, my precious. Really.", Mr. Bagman said. "It seems she and some other students are having constant meetings at the cafeteria and in their lounges."

"That´s not really something suspicious."

"Oh, but it is, my dear, it is!", Mr. Bagman protested. "One of them is an innocent boy who is always tempted by them to break the rules! Such a good boy, still sleeping with his teddy bear at night." A vein began pulsating rather strongly above Akihiko´s eye. He was about to snap. "And I don´t really know what I means, but they´re always taking about... hm, what was it again?" Mr. Bagman wrinkled his forehead in concentration. "I am sorry, but my memory seems rather hazy these days... What was it again...? ... Oh, yes! They´re always talking about _`that other world´_ and _`Shadows´_!"

Akihiko´s eyes widened a bit. "Are you sure they´re talking about that?", he asked the old professor.

"Oooh yes, I´m certain of it.", Mr. Bagman said and nodded. "And they´re always discussing the murder case. And this brat, that´s helping the police: Let me tell you that she´s the worst of them! She´s always threatening the others! Oh dear! Such a naughty child!" He looked at his wrist watch again. "Oh my! It´s about time to go to the next seminar! Was there something else you wanted to ask."

"Yes, there is something else.", Akihiko said and stood up.

"Well, then please go ahead and ask, my dear."

"... Where exactly have you been this morning when the explosion happened?", Akihiko asked, gaze lingering on Mr. Bagman´s grey eyes, as if he could see in them whether the old professor would lie to him or not.

"This morning?", Mr. Bagman asked, seemingly puzzled. "My boy, I have read many thrillers in my lifetime and even saw some of them on TV, and this question really sounds like you´re suspecting me!"

"Please answer the question.", Akihiko said, ignoring Mr. Bagman´s protest.

"May I ask what you are trying to accomplish, my dear?", Mr. Bagman continued to ask.

Akihiko sighed, then said: "Several students who returned from a party this morning reported they had seen you near the PC."

"Oh, really?", Mr. Bagman asked, interested. "Would you be so kind as to tell me their names, my dear? It´s not allowed to leave this building after a certain hour, you know."

"I´m aware of that.", Akihiko said. "Said students have already gotten a reprimand by me."

"How assiduous of you!", Mr. Bagman praised him.

"So, would you please tell me where you´ve been this morning?", Akihiko asked again.

"I had night-watch this night.", Mr. Bagman explained. "Of course, I also have to check on the PC to make sure that nobody has hidden in there.

"Oh, I see..."

"Then you believe me?"

Suddenly and without warning, Akihiko leaned other the table, his face and the old professor´s face only millimetres apart. "Not in the least.", Akihiko answered.

"Oh?", Mr. Bagman didn´t seem to be impressed at all.

"You know, I have seen many actors in my lifetime. Many on TV, others at the theatre with a good friend of mine, and last year I even had to protect an actress.", Akihiko said. "There are actors that are so good in what they do that they can really make you believe that what they´re acting is actually the truth. But you know..." He leaned even closer to the old man, their grey eyes drilling into each others. "... If an actor plays his role _too_perfect he becomes rather fake and thus becomes like an open book for the attentive observer."

"Oh, really? How very interesting, my dear?", Mr. Bagman said and smiled in a fatherly way. "Is that all you wanted to ask me?"

Akihiko leaned back again. "I have only one question left.", Akihiko and pointed at a photo that he had spotted amidst the old professor´s documents while leaning over the table. "Who is that?"

"Oh, just the cute little daughter of my younger sister.", Mr. Bagman answered.

"Very well.", Akihiko said and bowed shortly. "If you´ll excuse me..." He left the office.

Mr. Bagman stared at the door for a few minutes, then stood up. He shoved the photo back beneath the documents where it had fallen out and left the office as well.

An eleven years old girl was shown on the photo, sitting on her father´s shoulders and holding a grinning puppet that looked like a snowman.

Mr. Bagman smiled maliciously while wandering through the hallways, hobbling on his right leg.

* * *

Author´s note: I guess it should be obvious who that little girl is...


	26. Chapter 26: Kou's training

_**Chapter 26: Kou´s training**_

"Whoa, it looks really weird in here!", were Kou´s words when he and Souji entered Yukiko´s castle inside the TV world to train. The Shadows in this dungeon were extremely weak and thus perfect for Kou to get a feeling for what was to come in the near future. Souji had entered the TV world with him alone as a leader; they wouldn´t need anymore people. Of course, he had talked about it with the others beforehand since they had promised never to enter the TV world without the others back then. "Must´ve been some crazy person who´d created this place!"

"Um... You´d better not let Yukiko hear that.", Souji just said while taking his sword out of his bag.

Kou stared at him. "... Yukiko´s created this place?!... You serious?!"

"These places reflect people´s feelings and hidden desires in a rather exaggerated way.", Souji explained.

"Oh...", Kou started to look for his weapon inside his bag. "And what did your dungeon look like?"

"I...", Souji started and contemplated an answer. None of the others in their group knew that he got his ability to summon multiple Personas from the currently useless Wild Card. "I... didn´t have a dungeon. My Persona just appeared like that... Dunno why."

"Whoa... Well, you were always something special.", Kou said, grinning, and took out a basketball from his bag.

Souji raised his eyebrows. "You´re not really serious, are you?", he asked the smaller man.

"Why?", Kou asked and jumped upwards in the next moment when he felt something creeping towards him. "Whoa, whoa!", he shouted in panic, aimed and threw the basketball at the Shadow without thinking. The thing got flattened and degenerated into dark fog.

"What the...?!", Souji stammered, went and tried to pick up the ball. "What?!" The ball weighed like it tons of bricks inside it.

"Cool, huh?", Kou said. "I filled the ball´s inside with cement while staying at my parent´s. I had already decided back then that I would help you, no matter what."

"Well, it certainly has enough clout.", Souji agreed and gave him back the basketball. "But as soon as you´ve thrown it, you won´t have a weapon anymore. Yukiko always has some fans in reserve with her, but you wouldn´t be able to carry more than one of those heavy balls."

"That´s why I´m only throwing it in case of an emergency.", Kou explained and began following Souji through the corridors. "I can use the basketball just fine to punch enemies with it."

"Hm...", Souji suddenly stopped when something round with a huge tongue approached them. "Izanagi!", he shouted and crushed the tarot card that appeared before him. "Okay, I´ll try getting its attention while you try to summon your Persona, Kou!" The silver-haired man jumped forward and fought the Shadow, trying hard not to destroy it with one strike.

"Um...", Kou just stood there.

"Concentrate!", Souji shouted while he let Izanagi blow the Shadow away from them. "Try to remember the sensation you felt when you got your Persona! Close your eyes if you have to!"

"Okay!", Kou said and closed his eyes, the hand which held the ball slightly shaking in concentration. "... SIEGFRIED!!!", he suddenly shouted. And really! A blue tarot card appeared before him that he instantly crushed with his basketball. The Persona Siegfried appeared, shot towards the now exhausted Shadow and destroyed it with its sword.

"Very good!", Souji praised him. "A direct hit with its sword!"

"Uh...", Kou began in embarrassment. "I... I just summoned my Persona. The rest it did by itself..."

"Hm... Then we should try to train you to get control over your Persona.", Souji said, slightly shocked that Siegfried could have killed him instead of the Shadow. "Otherwise we´ll risk killing both of us or one of the others next time."

"R-right...", Kou said and grinned apologetic. "Sorry..."

"I am thou... And thou art I...", a voice began talking in Souji´s head. "Thou hast revived an old bond from the depths of its deepest slumber..." The tarot card of the Arcana _Strength_appeared before him. "It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana..."

"Well, everyone has to start somehwere low...", Souji said, shrugging, and continued wandering through the hallways of Yukiko´s dungeon.

* * *

Naoto really had been in her element since the first homicide had happened in Tanaba University, and since then she had always kept an eye on all suspicious people she had set on the list of suspects she had created together with her friends. But neither Mr. Bagman nor professor Yamagishi, Akihiko Sanada or Ikas Ito had behaved somewhat suspicious until now.

The woman Patty Sideu that had shared a lounge with the first victim was currently staying with her parents to recover from the shock. According to Sanada, she didn´t witness anything about the evil deed. Since they were dealing with Shadows here, Naoto wasn´t surprised about that at all. At any rate, she couldn´t observe Sideu for the moment.

Both professors acted flawlessly - well, except Mr. Bagman´s constant drive to follow the students around and scream at them when they had done something that was wrong in his opinion -, and could only do something evil when they weren´t inside the university or when Naoto was to busy observing one of the other suspects.

Keeping an eye on Ito was just boring and sometimes really irritating for Naoto since that stupid girl always let herself be pushed and bossed around by others. But there was always a possibility that she had started pushing others into the TV to get some kind of revenge. But why she should have had a desire to push Ichijo-senpai into the TV, Naoto just couldn´t tell.

And then there was Sanada. Naoto stared at the young police officer´s name on her list. Honestly, she had lost every will to keep an eye on him. He seemed really angry about the murders that were currently happening throughout Japan. All of those little children... Even Naoto started shaking slightly when she thought about what kind of person that killer might be... No, she was certain that she might as well take Sanada from the list. He seemed completely obsessed to solve the cases concerning the children and the university.

Naoto was thrown out of her thoughts when she had reached her destiny - the office the police was stationed in Tanaba University - , and knocked. The door was opened by an annoyed looking police officer. But when he saw Naoto his whole demeanour changed.

"Good day.", Naoto said, slightly annoyed by the frightened expression of that man who seemed much older than her. "Is Sanada-san present? I´d like to speak with him."

"S-sanada-san is inside the o-office indeed.", the older police officer stammered. "Please come inside, sir!"

Naoto frowned when she heard the word _`sir´_. Yes, there had been a time when she had wanted to be perceived as _`manly´_ by other people. Such irony that only now people started to treat her like that more and more.

"Thank you very much.", she said to the man, entered and spotted Akihiko Sanada immediately who was leaning over a map of Japan, probably to study all the locations where the murders had happened.

"Ah, good day, Shirogane!", Akihiko said when he noticed the young detective, the conversation with Mr. Bagman still fresh in his mind. _`If they really are like our group S.E.E.S. back then, then I have to...´_ He forced an awkward smile. In all of those years he still wasn´t really comfortable showing his friendly side towards other people.

"Good day, Sanada-san.", Naoto greeted the silver-haired police officer as well and looked at the map where all of those locations where the serial killer had killed their victims were marked indeed.

"What can I do for you, Shirogane?", Akihiko asked, absorbed into the map again.

"I wanted to ask if you have found out something new regarding the destroyed PC.", Naoto explained.

"Yes, we did find out something.", Akihiko said. "But I´ve found out something even more interesting. Please take a closer look at the map."

"Hmm... The places where the pedophile murderer has killed all of those children are marked here. Correct?", Naoto said.

"Correct.", Akihiko agreed, took out a red marker and began drawing on the map.

"This is just a copy of the original map, isn´t it?", Naoto asked.

"Of course.", Aikihiko assured the detective since otherwise he would have just ruined important material. "Please take a look at this..." He continued drawing, and the more lines were added to the card, the bigger Naoto´s eyes got.

* * *

"Whoa!", Kou shouted when he was thrown out of the TV and landed right in front of Rise who was sitting on here bed. Souji followed seconds later, landing on his feet next to him.

"Welcome back, Kou-senpai! Souji-senpai!", Rise said and winked seductively at Souji. "But could you please move it now? I was just watching my favorite TV program."

"You... were watching TV...? With that?! While we were inside it?!", Kou asked and pointed to the TV.

"Well, for what should I use it then? Should I throw my clothes inside and use it as a new closet?", Rise countered and rolled her eyes.

"... Where´s Naoto?", Souji asked, having looked around the room and not being able to spot Naoto who was normally working on essays and such at this time of day, if they didn´t plan to enter the TV world.

"She´s with that Sanada again.", Rise answered. "I´m actually surprised she hasn´t whacked him with a club by now and dragged away to her bedroom like a cave man." She rolled her eyes again, but jumped up in surprise the next moment when Naoto, completely drenched in sweat, stormed inside.

"Rise! Are our Senpai back by now?!", she shouted, out of breath, and she spotted Souji and Kou. "Senpai! Where is Hanamura-senpai?!"

"Uh, huh?", Souji asked, slightly puzzled. "He´s in our lounge. Why?"

"No, he´s not!", Naoto disagreed. "I´ve been there just now and Teddie told he didn´t see him since this afternoon when we´d agreed that you could enter the TV world alone with Ichijo-senpai!"

"Maybe he´s in the city or something like that...", Souji said. "Why do you want to talk to him so ba--?" But he suddenly stopped and his eyes widened. "Don´t tell me another destroyed TV has been found?!"

Rise looked up in horror. "But... But Yosuke-senpai´s got a Persona! He couldn´t have--"

"No, not Hanamura-senpai!", Naoto said, still out of breath, and shook her head vehemently. "I´m looking for him, because he´s been together with Ito quite often lately!"

"Ooooh, he is?", Rise asked, curiously. "So he really got the hots for Ikas, hm?"

"That´s not important right now, Kujikawa!", Naoto snapped at her. "I´ve visited Akihiko-san a moment ago because of the things that had happened inside the PC and the corpse that was found there, and he has informed me that there are currently two students missing: One of them is a student named Sarastari and the other one is Ikas Ito!"


	27. Chapter 27: The center of the circles

_**Chapter 27: The center of the circles**_

Ikas Ito´s lounge was completely full of litter. There were books, shirts and other utensils lying around on the floor.

"Do you think someone else did this?", Chie asked, having just now entered the lounge together with the others, and looked to the intact TV

"No. This is just ordinary disarray.", Naoto said. "All of those things don´t seem to have been thrown around randomely, and the closets aren´t hanging wide open either."

"What about Ikas-san´s roommate?", Yukiko asked.

"... She doesn´t have one.", Naoto said. The others looked to the side in sadness. Another fact about how lonely Ikas must feel all the time... "The only question remaining now is if she´s the one who was murdered in the PC or if it was the other student."

"No matter whether it´s Ikas or that other woman, it still doesn´t change anything about the horribleness."

"Yeah, it´s sad if someone gets knocked out.", Teddie agreed sadly. "Is it really impossible to get back the knocked out person on this side?"

Souji sighed in compassion and kneeled before him. "Teddie, in our world it´s not like the TV world. You just don´t get `knocked out´ here and then can be revived with Samarecarm if you´re fast enough. Death is forever in our world..."

"Oh...", Teddie sniffed.

"The only one who would maybe be able to tell us about It´s whereabouts is Hanamura-senpai.", Naoto said and looked to the alarm clock on the nightstand in impatience. It was already midnight.

"Ugh, that stupid Bakamura!", Chie snarled. "The one time we need him, and he´s not here!"

"Should I try lookin´ for him?", Kanji suggested.

"No, you´d better not. Or you´ll have that Bagman after you because you´re out so late, and he throws you into a TV.", Rise said.

"Hah! As if he´d be able ta get me!", Kanji snorted.

Naoto sighed and turned to the door. "I guess there´s no sense in lingering around here. If Hanamura-senpai gets back, the first place he´ll turn to will be his lounge. We should wait for him there." The other nodded in agreement and followed her towards Souji, Yosuke and Teddie´s lounge.

* * *

Two hours later Yosuke still hadn´t come back.

"Damnit! Where the hell´s that guy!?", Kanji grumbled and cracked his knuckles in annoyance.

Yukiko who was reading a book to distract herself looked up at the watch. Beside her, Teddie was about to fall asleep, his head having nearly reached the table.

"You can go to sleep if you want, Teddie.", Souji said.

The blond Shadow looked up immediately and shook his head vehemently. "No, I won´t go to sleep until Yosuke comes back! I´m beary worried about my big brother!", he protested. The others looked at him puzzled when he said _`Big brother´_. "And really not sle... slee..." The next moment he had laid his head on the table, snoring.

Kanji stood up and brought the sleepy head towards his sleeping berth.

* * *

Several more minutes passed without Yosuke returning.

"Alright then...", Naoto finally sighed and took out a map of Japan. "Since Hanamura-senpai still hasn´t returned, I´m going to start explaining you what Akihiko-san has found out before we´re all starting to fall asleep."

"He found something out?", Yukiko asked, interested, marked the site in the book, and lay it to the side.

"Yes, he did indeed.", Naoto said and pointed at all of those red dots that were shown on the map. "All of those points indicate where the children have been killed lately." She looked up from the map. "I assume everyone has heard of those murders?" The other nodded grimly. "Well, it seems the culprit is following a rather simple methode which is actually quite disgusting and perverse."

"And that would be?", Souji asked.

"Well, let´s connect all of those dots...", Naoto said and did just that.

"That´s...", Chie said and stared at the map in confusion. "... a Dragonball?"

The others looked at her, unbelieving.

"What?!"

"No, Satonaka-senpai, that is not a Dragonball, whatever that may be.", Naoto said, trying hard not to shout.

"Well, those are two circley with each a star in them...", Chie said and shrugged.

"Those characters are often used in alchemical rituals.", Naoto explained. "There were once dozens of cults that practiced those rituals. A circle with a five-ragged star in it was often one of those characters."

"So that freak who´s killin´ all of those kids likes alchemy?", Kanji asked.

"Probably watched too much Full Metal Alchemist...", Chie shrugged.

"Full-what-did-you-say?", Naoto asked, irritated.

"Nothing, nothing...", Chie hurriedly said.

"Anyway, Tatsumi has just explained one of the clues in his own crude way of speaking.", Naoto said and ignored the glare Kanji threw at her. "The culprit seems to be fascinated about alchemy. But to express his soft spot for it this way - by killing innocent children - is rather disgusting and perverse."

"You can say that again.", Kou said and shuddered. "I don´t even want to know what that guy would do to my little sister..."

"Nanako...", Souji mumbled, slightly worried, but then shook his head. No, his uncle Dojima would never allow something horrible to ever happen to his cousin again.

"Well, there is actually another clue about those characters.", Naoto resumed speaking. "Both star circles have a center..." She marked both centers with a dot. "One of the centers if the graveyard of Tatsumi Port Island."

"Haven´t we been there once during a school trip?", Chie asked.

"Yes, that´s correct.", Yukiko said and than giggled in embarrassment when she remember her behaviour in the disco _Escapade_ back then.

"Well, I can´t explain why this place has been chosen as one of the centers yet.", Naoto admitted and then pointed to the center of the other circle. "But the center of the other circle is especially interesting and even supports the theory of this being the correct interpretation."

_`Tanaba University´_ was marked as the center of the second circle.

"Oh fuck!", Kanji groaned.

"So the murders here at Tanaba University and throughout Japan are all connected?!", Yukiko asked, eyes huge.

"It looks like it.", Naoto said.

"And since the Shadows are connected to all of this as well, the murders of all those children are tied to the other world. Correct?", Souji said.

"Correct.", Naoto said.

"Oh man, this is getting is getting more and more confusing.", Chie sighed.

"Indeed.", Souji agreed. "People´s souls are being thrown into the TV, but there are still people killed just like that instead of having their souls stolen. And all of that is probably also connected with the murders happening throughout Japan..." He looked at the first center, the graveyard. "... and then there is Tatsumi Port Island´s graveyard. ... This case is just too huge this time..."

"And there are still more things we can´t forget about.", Naoto reminded them. "That presence Rise had felt in Ichijo-senpai´s dungeon back then, for example. This could be a very important aspect." She looked at Rise. "Were you able to remember whose presence it was you felt by now?"

"Unfortunatly, no. And... actually I just forgot about it with all of the stuff that´s happened lately.", Rise admitted.

"It´s okay. Just don´t give up.", Souji encouraged her. Rise smiled at him adorably.

"And then there´s the reflection Ichijo-senpai had seen.", Naoto continued.

"Well, as I´ve said before, I could´ve just imagined things.", Kou said and shrugged.

"Something that looks like a curtain which got blown by the wind every which way...", Naoto mumbled, ignoring Kou, and first looked at Yukiko, then at Rise. "Hm... No, that can´t be it..."

"What do you mean?", Rise asked.

"No, it´s just an idea that´s too weird to be true.", Naoto said and shook her head. "Just forget about it."

"Okaaaaaaaaaay...", Kou said and looked at the watch. I was three o'clock in the morning, meaning students had to be in their lounges as of now. "If Yosuke doesn´t get back soon, he´ll be in deep sh--"

"Yosuke!", they suddenly heard Teddie shouting from the bedroom.

"Ack! Go away! No! Stop! That´s sooo gay! Cut it out!", they could hear Yosuke screaming. "... Where´s partner?"

"In the kitchen?", Souji said.

"You´re making yourself something to eat at this hour?", Yosuke asked, entered the kitchen and stopped in confusion when he saw all of the others there as well, glaring at him. "Huh? What´re you all doing here?!" He noticed their looks. "What?!"

"Where´ve you been?", Souji asked him calmy.

"In the city clubbing!", Yosuke said, trying to defend himself. "What, is that not allowed or something?! I´ve got back just in time after all, guys!"

"Failsuke...", Chie only grumbled.

"What´s going on here anyway?!"

"Hanamura-senpai, have you seen Ikas Ito after the PC had been destroyed?", Naoto asked him. "Seta-senpai says he hasn´t seen here neither in literature nor in informatics." But before Yosuke was able to answer, Naoto´s cell phone started ringing. "... Yes? ... Ah, Sanada-san! Did you find out some-- ... Hmm? ... Really...? ... Yes... Yes, I understand... Good night to you, too..." She hung up and stared to the ground.

"What´s wrong?", Souji asked.

"The corpse they found belongs to that other student, not Ito.", Naoto said.

"Oh...", Souji looked to the ground as well.

Silence...

Suddenly someone started yanking at Souji´s arm. "... Sensei?", Teddie said, voice still dozy.

"Hm?", Souji looked at him, still absentminded.

"I´ve dreamed about something...", Teddie explained. "There was a woman in my dream. I tried scoring with her, but I just couldn´t reach her with all that beary heavy fog! She had long hair, and I think she looked like that Itas or Itas or however she´s called..."

The others looked at him, wide-eyed.

It had been some time, but in this moment all of them thought the same thing again: _`Oh shit!´_

* * *

Author´s note: Merry christmas to all of my readers!


	28. Chapter 28: The new victim?

_**Chapter 28: The next victim?**_

"Are you sure?!", Yosuke asked and jumped at Teddie in the next Moment, facial expression panic.

"I... think so...", Teddie stammered while Yosuke started shaking him.

"How sure are you?!", Yosuke snapped at him.

"Hanamura-senpai! That´s enough!", Naoto stepped in. Yosuke looked at Naoto for a moment, then set down on one of the chairs, hands shaking. Naoto stared at Teddie hauntingly. "Teddie, are you really sure?"

"Yes, I´ve dreamed about that stupid boring corridor! I´m no dumb bear after all!", Teddie grumbled.

"And that person was really Ikas?", Souji continued to ask.

"I... think so...", Teddie said.

"So you´re not sure...", Naoto said, deep in thought. "That´s strange. Teddie should have dreamed about Ikas before she got abducted, like it had been the case with Ichijo-senpai."

"And the TV in Ikas´ room is still intact.", Yukiko added.

"I´m going into the TV world!", Yosuke suddenly said and stood up.

"What?!", Rise looked up, horrified.

"Failsuke, are you stupid or hampered!?", Chie shouted at him, but Yosuke had already stormed towards the door.

"Yosuke! Stop!", Souji shouted, using his leader voice in order to stop Yosuke who had already reached the hallways.

"Hanamura-senpai! Stop or I´ll have to shoot!", Naoto warned, aiming at Yosuke with her revolver.

"I don´t give a damn!", Yosuke screamed and looked back at the others while storming through the hallways. "I--!"

BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Ouch! Shit!", Yosuke groaned when he collided with another person and fell to the ground.

"I-I´m sorry!", the person who now lay underneath Yosuke and was looking for her glasses, stammered.

"Ikas-san!", Yukiko said, relieved, when she recognised the shy woman.

"Oh, good...", Souji sighed while Naoto wrinkled her forehead in thought.

"What?!", Yosuke shouted, jumped up, grabbed Ikas and came face to face with her as if he couldn´t believe she was actually there.

"Uh... Um...", Ikas stammered, beet-red.

"You´re really Ikas?!", Yosuke asked, still unbelieving.

"Y-yes... Wh-why?", the young woman asked, puzzled.

"Another corpse has been found.", Naoto explained, trying to find a way to find out where the woman had been all this time without having to mention the TV world. "We were worried that something may have happened to you."

"Oh...", Ikas said and looked to the ground. "I-I´m sorry to have worried y-you, b-but I have been at m-my parents´ house this whole time..."

"At your parents´ house?", Rise repeated.

"Yes.", Ikas nodded, looking somewhere else as always. "D-do you still remember how p-pale my face has been lately? I-I told you tha-that I´m s-sick ve-very often. I w-went to my parents´ house to re-recuperate."

"Oh yeah, I remember.", Souji said, only now noticing that Ikas looked much healthier now.

"You stupid girls!", Naoto suddenly shouted at her. Ikas jumped backwards in horror while the other stared at her. "There is a murderer on the prowl! Why, for heaven´s sake, didn´t you tell anyone where you were!?"

"... B-but I-I-I di-di-d-did...", the shy woman defended herself. "B-Bagman-sensei knows that I-I´ve been staying at my parents´ place..."

"Bagman?!", Kanji repeated, unbelieving. "Well, you decided on the wrong guy, then! As if that asshole would tell us sumthin´ like that!"

"I-I... sorry?", Ikas stammered, completely insecure now.

"No, you don´t have to be!", Yosuke snapped and glared at the others. "You didn´t do anything wrong!" He grabbed her suitcases that lay on the ground near her. "Come on, I´ll help you carry those back to your lounge.

"B-but...", Ikas started to protest, but followed Yosuke nevertheless, blushing madly.

The others stared after them, absolutely baffled.

"... Wow, Yosuke-senpai really seems to have the hots for Ikas!", Rise suddenly giggled. Chie only grumbled and went back to Souji, Teddie and Yosuke´s lounged.

"U-uh, Chie...?", Kou asked, suddenly feeling a bit shy, and followed her.

"Ooooh! Drama, baby! Just like a good soap opera!", Rise cheered.

"Kujikawa, could you please stop gloating over other people´s misery?!", Naoto admonished her.

"It´s `Rise´!"

"... Kujikawa!"

"Rise!"

"Kujikawa!"

"RISE!!!"

"KUJIKAWA!!!"

Both women looked ready to pounce.

"Okay, okay, that´s enough, you two!", Souji intervened, having already spotted Mr. Bagman at the end of the corridor who had followed the loud noises. They could walk through the hallways whenever they wanted, but they had to be silent when doing so. The friends hurried back to the lounge where Chie was already sitting in the kitchen, pouting, Kou sitting next to her, drooling.

* * *

Yosuke returned several minutes later.

"Aaaand?", Rise asked, curious, and sat next to him.

"What?", he asked, puzzled.

"Did you kiss?"

"WH-WHAT?!"

"Well, did you? Did you?!"

Chie only snorted while Kou stared at her, sighing every so often.

"Th-that´s none of your business!", Yosuke stammered hurriedly, beet-red, stood up and sat next to Teddie who was almost in dreamland again.

" 'kay, I think I´m gonna hit the sack now.", Kanji suddenly said and wanted to stand up.

"No, not yet.", Naoto said and looked at Teddie who was now fully awake again, thanks to Yosuke whacking him a few times. "Are you really sure that it was the same corridor as last time, Teddie?"

"Yes, I´ve already said that about a hundred times now, thank you beary much!", Teddie pouted.

"But you don´t really know who the person was you saw there?", Naoto continued asking.

"N... Not really...", Teddie said, deep in thought. "But it was a woman with long hair. And she wasn´t really that tall."

Yukiko sighed. "That could be anyone. Even me."

"I... I still think it´s that Ikas.", Teddie said and rubbed his head. "Ugh... This is just too much for a poor bear like me... I don´t like games where you have to guess..."

"In any case, I will keep an eye on Ito.", Naoto said. "Seta-senpai, Hanamura-senpai, please pay very close attention to her in the literature seminars you have together with her. If the culprit really is Bagman, then she will be in huge danger after the seminars, should she anger the professor."

Understood.", Souji and Yosuke answered in unison.

"Now you can - what did you call it again? - `hit the sack´, Tatsumi.", Naoto said.

"Tch!", Kanji grumbled, grabbed the still drooling Kou and headed back to their lounge.

"Ooooh! Yaoi!!!", Rise squealed and ran after them.

"I´M NOT GAAAAY!!", both Kanji and Kou shouted.

"SILENCE, YOU INSOLENT BRATS!!", Mr. Bagman could be heard shouting.

"Yay! Everyday´s great at your Tanaba University!", the others could hear Rise giggling.


	29. Chapter 29: Sideu's announcement

_**Chapter 29: Sideu´s announcement**_

When Souji, Yosuke and Ikas entered the cafeteria the next day after being tortured by Mr. Bagman in literature, there was already a huge mass of people gathered around one of the tables.

"Huh... Wonder what´s going on there...", Yosuke said, staring at the mass, and promptly crashed into Kanji who was standing at the end of the queue waiting to get their food.

"The Hell, man!?", the muscular man growled and whirled around, ready to punch the one who had bumped into him. "... Oh, it´s only you, Yosuke-senpai."

"Oh yeah, it´s _only_me.", Yosuke affirmed, slightly offended, and lined up behind Kanji.

"Well, I could still beat the shit out of you, if you want.", Kanji offered and cracked his knuckles happily.

"Errr, no, I´d... rather not. I still remember that incident with the broom.", Yosuke hurriedly declined.

"... Broom?", Ikas asked.

"Yosuke-s --", Kanji started.

"N-nothing! It was nothing!", Yosuke interrupted him and stared at the mass of people again. "What´re they all doing over there?"

"No idea.", Souji said and spotted the others of their group who were watching the crowd as well. He noticed that Naoto´s glare was especially scary today. "What do you think? Should we take a look?"

"U-um... I... I don´t really know...", Ikas stammered, insecure, and looked at Yosuke.

"Why not.", Yosuke shrugged and smiled at her. She blushed and hurriedly looked to the ground.

_`Hmm... They really seem to like each other...´_, Souji thought. _`Poor Chie...´_He looked at Chie and noticed that Kou was sitting next to her and was trying hard not to drool. _`I hope Kou can win her heart or it´ll end in a catastrophe...´_

* * *

After they had filled their trays with food, the four friends wandered towards the crowd which had gotten even huger.

"How did he look like?", they heard a woman ask.

"Weren´t you scared?", another one asked.

Only now did the friends notice that Patty Sideu - the woman who had shared a lounge with the first victim - was the center of all the attention.

"Ooooh yeah! You can´t even imagine _how_scared I was!", Sideu lamented in fake anguish and elegantly combed through her long red hair.

"Wasn´t her hair short the last time we saw her?", Yosuke whispered.

"Um... I... I think those are extensions.", Ikas said.

"Looks pretty cheap.", Kanji said with the gaze of a professional.

"Dude! Stop talking like a queer hair stylist!", Yosuke gagged.

"What the fuck!?"

"Shhh! Be quiet!", Souji admonished them and tried to hear more of the conversation.

"Just try to imagine it!", Sideu continued acting, crocodile tears running down her face. "Here I am, waking up from my beauty sleep, and then there´s some disgusting smelling person in our lounge, hitting my poor roommate again and again with a giant club! I was sooo scared!"

"You poor thing!", someone of the crowed said sympathetically.

"Didn´t you see who it was?", another one asked.

Suddenly Sideu was smiling triumphantly. "You´re asking if I´ve seen the perpetrator! Ooooh yeah!"

Agitated mumbling could be heard in the cafeteria, and Souji, Yosuke, Kanji and Ikas was all staring at the red-haired woman, wide-eyed.

"But, didn´t you tell the police who it was?", someone else asked.

"No, not yet.", Sideu answered and her tone got theatric again. "I was still sooo shocked and out of it when they questioned me!" She shook her head. "But no! Even now I won´t tell the police the killer´s true identity!"

"What?! 's that woman crazy!?", Kanji groaned.

Sideu suddenly stood up and climbed on one of the table. "No, I will give the killer the chance to end it all and to confess his crimes to the police himself!", she announced to everyone in the cafeteria. "And yes, this is a warning for the killer: Surrender now or I will eventually make sure that you´re arrested! But be warned, I will make everyday you´re hiding a living hell for you!"

The crowd - Sideu´s new fans - started applauding while Sideu combed through her hair again and sat down.

"... Okay, that´s enough now.", Souji suddenly said and started making himself a way through the crowd.

"Hey, wait for me, Partner!", Yosuke said and followed him together with the other two.

"Hey!", Souji shouted once he´d reached Sideu.

"Hmm?", the woman looked up with a derogative glare, but her attitude changed immediately once she recognised Souji. "Oooh! You´re that young man who´d been in my lounge back then!" She looked at Yosuke. "And you´re the one who had comforted me!" She winked at both of the them and admired their physique. "You can sit here together with me, if you want. Tee hee hee!" Souji was already on his way, followed by the other three, when Sideu continued. "Those two, though..." She pointed at Ikas and Kanji. "... have to stay back there together with the rest of those vermin!"

"Vermin!", Kanji repeated, clenchin his fists, while Ikas hung her head low, shaking.

"Oh, please! How vulgar!", Sideu said. "And what´s that shirt your wearing?! You think you´re `in´ just because there´s a skull printed on it! ... Oh God! Does this monstrosity of a skull have hearts instead of eyes! Are you gay?! Oh my! That´s sooo disgu--"

SPLASH!!!!!!!!!!

Souji, Yosuke and Kanji gaped at Ikas who had just now thrown the contents of one of the glasses that stood on a table near her at Sideu.

"I... I won´t let you... let you insult my friends any longer...!", Ikas said, voice chocked, her body still shaking.

"YOU...!", Sideu screamed and jumped up to grab Ikas´ hair. Yosuke hurriedly positioned himself in front of Ikas so that Sideu who had expected a much lighter target was thrown back into her chair.

"I think we´ll politely decline that invitation.", Souji said, feeling as if he had to vomit if he stayed even one second longer near that woman, and went to the rest of their group, followed by the others.

"Way to go, Ikas! That´s how it´s done!", Rise praised the shy woman when they sat down.

"Th-thank you...", Ikas stammered, seemingly astounded over her actions as well.

"... I guess you´ve heard everything?", Souji asked the others.

"Well, it wasn´t exactly to miss.", Chie said.

"That woman is ten times worse than Ai Ebihara, just that Ebihara-san actually had a kind character underneath all of her snottiness.", Yukiko said, glaring at Sideu.

"Sideu has actually already told this story several times now.", Naoto informed them. "What you´ve just witnessed was the twelfth performance of her little fairy tale."

"Fairy tale? So you don´t believe her as well?", Yosuke asked.

"Not in the least.", Naoto answered. "She remains silent only to give the killer a chance to surrender?! Oh please! People like this brat are the first ones who hurry to the police to sneak like little children to make sure that the big bad guy won´t be able to hurt them! She doesn´t even have the slightes clue who it was who killed her roommate that night! Her only motivation for telling this story is to get the attention of all of those fools behind us! And just to top it all, that foolish woman is making herself a perfect target for the killer who will certainly do anything to silence a possible witness! Ugh!"

"Caaaaaalm down, Naoto! Count to ten! Take a deeeep breath!", Rise tried to calm her, but hurriedly backed of when Naoto glared at her.

"Oh yeah...", Naoto suddenly said and looked at Ikas, trying to sound casual. "I´m sure Teddie would like Sideu. He just _loves_ woman with long hair, just like that woman in his dream." She stood up. "If you´ll excuse me, the next seminar is about to begin."

Everyone except Ikas stared after her in shock.

It seemed they had just now found out who exactly would be the killer´s next target.

* * *

Author´s note: Wow! This is just like with Bagman! o.0 When I had started roughly planning the story´s design, Patty Sideu had only been a minor character, like Bagman...


	30. Chapter 30: Shadow's Tower

_**Chapter 30: Shadow's Tower**_

After Naoto had finally calmed down and agreed to help prevent that Patty became the next victim, the friends started to observe the snotty girl. Wherever she went, one of the group was right behind her.

Souji, Yosuke, Naoto and Kou who had consoled her back then when her roommate had been killed and thus were more than welcome on her casual meetings with other snotty students, always attended those meetings, gritting their teeth. Souji was the one who suffered the most during those meetings since Sideu seemed to have made up her mind that he would be the perfect boyfriend for her. The silver-haired man was ready to jump out of the window, would the voice in his head even so much dare as announce a newly created Social Link with Sideu.

Of course, Rise wasn´t all that happy that another woman had started to make advances towards the man of her dreams, and so she started eating tons of ice-cream during the night, angering Naoto who started to complain about lack of sleep.

Even Ikas had started talking less and less with Yosuke once she´d noticed that Yosuke was spending time with Sideu.

"Well, that´s how women are! Spend too much time with 'nother one, and you´re screwed!", Kanji said and nodded sagely. Seconds later he was storming after Yosuke who had doubted Kanji´s credibility in regards to dating women in a rather rude manner.

While every other women started to go crazy among them, Chie seemed much more cheerful than usual, now that there was a potential rival - Ikas - less for Yosuke´s heart to worry about. But, of course, she was set back to to her constant renaming of Yosuke ("Failsuke!" "Yosugay!" "Bakamura!").

During the time they were keeping an eye on Sideu, Souji managed to deepen some of his Social Links. Only Naoto who was always to busy with observing Sideu, and Yukiko who had been rather self contained ever since they met in _Tanaba University_were refusing to allow the reestablishment of their Social Links.

And those two weren´t the only ones who were making things for Souji difficult in regards to Social Links: He couldn´t go out to the city too long since protecting Sideu took just too much time. The Tajibayaki´s had already informed that should he miss another appointment, they would start looking for another babysitter. But he suspected that Hisano who wanted to see him again so badly was trying to hold both of the parents back.

Yosuke proved to be another headache who just didn´t allow him to continue the Magician Social Link. The music-loving man was either away for hours without anyone knowing where he´d went or he was pouting for hours because of Ikas´ sudden rejection. Teddie had told Souji that during the few hours the silver-haired man managed to get to the city Yosuke always threw the blond Shadow out of the lounge and locked himself in there.

Ikas´ rejection wasn´t only limited to Yosuke, though, but she also didn´t talk to anyone else of the group anymore. Thus her and Souji said next to each other in professor Yamagishi´s seminar in complete silence.

All in all some Social Links were coming along rather smoothly while others had come to a full halt.

* * *

Souji sighed while he walked towards Mr. Bagman´s office during the late afternoon to hand over the last assignment every in the seminar had to finish until the weekend. It was currently Wednesday and so he was the first one to turn in his work. And as always Yosuke had suddenly disappeared and was nowhere to be found.

Again, Souji sighed and knocked on the old professor´s office door.

"Come in!", he could hear the gruff voice of Mr. Bagman, and opened the door. "... Seta.", the old man said when he looked up from his documents, and shoved a photo beneath those.

"Good evening, professor.", Souji said, bowed shortly and lay down his assignment on the professor´s working table. "Here´s the assignment about the Japanese novelist you wanted."

"Oh? Finished already?", Mr. Bagman asked, took his reading glasses and glanced through the assignment.

"I´d rather finish things before they get out of hand.", Souji explained and glanced towards the documents beneath which Mr. Bagman had hid that photo, wondering what the old man was hiding.

"Diligent as always...", Mr. Bagman sighed, then stared at Souji. "Hm... How very astounding..."

"... What do you mean, if I may asked?", Souji asked, slightly puzzled.

Mr. Bagman sighed another time. "My boy, you must now by now what I think of you and your other _friends_, especially that violent miss with her revolver.", the old man answered and wrinkled his nose. "But still, you always turn in your assignments far sooner than everyone else, and those assignments are nearly perfect! ... I´m rather astonished about this, I must say!" His gaze wandered over Souji´s face to his silver hair, and Souji suddenly started shivering. "Yes... Almost exactly like him..."

"Uh, I beg your pardon?", Souji asked.

"I must say, you look exactly like my mother´s brother - may she rest in peace. Yes, really!" Souji was starting to feel sick imagining that he should be in any way related to Mr. Bagman. "Hmm... I´m starting to wonder if I´m on the wrong track here..." The old man stared at his documents, lost in thought. "But the grave..."

"The grave?", Souji repeated, completely confused.

"Oh, nothing, nothing, my boy. Only the mindless babbling of an old man.", Mr. Bagman chuckled and stared at Souji´s facial features again. "Yes... Just like him... And also the same drive for perfection... Truly astounding..."

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", the voice in his head suddenly began to talk.

"What?!", Souji shouted in horror.

"I beg your pardon?", Mr. Bagman asked, having been thrown out of his thoughts by Souji´s scream.

"N-nothing...", Souji hurriedly lied while his thoughts started to run wild. _`That can´t be...´_

"Thou hast established a new bond...", the voice continued, and seconds later the tarot card of the Tower Arcana appeared before his eyes. "It brings the closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana..." A comfortable warmth filled Souji´s body, announcing the creation of the new Social Link.

"You can go now.", Mr. Bagman only said, already absorbed into his documents. Souji nodded and left the office in silence. Seconds later Mr. Bagman threw his reading glasses to the side and took out the photo from beneath the documents which showed Nanako who held Jack Frost in her arms, sitting on Dojima´s shoulders. "Miki..."

* * *

Far away, at an entirely different place, free of time and space...

"So we´ve found him?", Igor said inside the Velvet room and stared at the sleeping being before him, his long nose hidden behind his hands.

"Yes, master. There is no doubt about it.", Aigis said with her robot-like voice.

"That surely takes away some of our worries...", Igor said. "Though... Why exactly did he choose this as a vessel..."

"I don´t know."

Igor sighed, but then started grinning like a lunatic again. "I think the future will show us the answer... the answer to everything... I can hardly wait!"

* * *

On his way to the lounge, there had suddenly been a rather lout noise, and all lights had turned themselves off so that Souji had to slowly walk back in order to avoid crashing into something.

"Just great...", he grumbled while nearly falling of the tenth random object in the hallways. "Why do they have to install those old electricity devices here in the first place..."

Several minutes later he reached the lounge and noticed Yosuke who was sleeping, Teddie sitting on his sleeping birth, consuming sugar like it was basic food.

"Stop it! Bad bear!", Souji admonished him like a disobedient dog and took away the bag full of sugar.

"But... But...", Teddie sniffed, but stopped when he saw Souji´s glare and went towards the kitchen.

"Hey, Yosuke! Hey!", Souji said and nudged his currently loudly snoring best friend.

"... t me sleep... ´m slee-hee-eepy...", Yosuke only grumbled in his sleep.

"Kanji said he wants to sleep in your bed tonight together with you.", Souji said. A loud snore was his only answer. "Wow! You must be really tired if y--"

"SENPAI!!!!!"

Souji whirled around when hearing that scream, and even Yosuke jumped out of the bed in horror and fell to the ground, face-first. Teddie was so astounded by that scream that he´d completely forgotten to hide the new bag of sugar he had stored somewhere inside the kitchen before he came out.

"Teddie!!", Souji snarled and took away that bag from him away.

The entrance door got thrown open and Naoto stormed inside, spotting a huge bleeding bump on her head and a cane in her hand. But when she saw Yosuke who had slept naked in bed, she screeched and fled outside.

"S-sorry!", Yosuke stammered and hurriedly hid in his bed again.

Souji only shook his head and ran outside to look after Naoto. "What´s wrong?", he asked her.

"I-I... Hanamura-senpai... His... His... So... So... sma--", Naoto stammered, her face beet-red and her eyes wide open.

"Not that!", Souji interrupted her. "Why did you come here?!"

"Oh... Oh! Ri... Right!", Naoto said, her face turning serious once again. "It´s Sideu! Her soul has been thrown into the TV world, just like we´d expected!"

* * *

Author´s note: "So... So... sma--" .................. Sorry, Yosuke! ^^;


	31. Chapter 31: Party in the pink room

_**Chapter 31: Party in the pink room**_

Shards of the former TV screen were scattered everywhere throughout the pink painted lounge of Patty Sideu, the motionless body of Sideu laying in the center of those shards, her body full of bleeding scratches.

"Just like with Ichijo-senpai...", Naoto said while pressing the ice bag Rise had given her against her wound. "Her Shadow must have appeared inside the TV and aggravated her until she finally lost her composure and destroyed the screen to silence the Shadow."

"So the Shadow can only escape from the TV world, if the TV screen is destroyed?", Yukiko said.

"It would appear so.", Naoto answered. "So is the screen sort of a barrier that can only be destroyed from our side and not from the other side? Or is there another reason why the screen has to be destroyed? Hmm..."

"How did ya manage ta get such a huge blister, anyway?", Kanji suddenly asked.

"Hmm?", Naoto looked up, slightly puzzled for a moment. "Oh, you mean that!" She sighed. "Well, as you all certainly remember, it was my turn to keep an eye on Sideu." The others nodded. "I had hidden myself in one of the lockers near her room where I had taken watch, when suddenly the lights had went out."

"There was a power breakdown.", Chie informed.

"Fuck! So that must have been the killer who cut off the power supply!", Kou groaned.

"Seems like it.", Souji agreed.

"Yes. And that must mean that the killer knows exactly that we were observing Sideu this whole time.", Naoto continued. "Otherwise he wouldn´t have resorted to this method."

"And the blister?", Rise asked.

"Well, I had prepared myself as thoroughly as possible so I had flashlight with me.", Naoto explained. "I had just left the locker and was about to make sure that Sideu was alright when someone had hit me from behind, effectively knocking me unconscious. When I regained consciousness Sideu was already lying on the floor." She looked to the side and pointed at the cane she had with her. "I found this next to me when I regained consciousness. There is blood on it. The killer´s probably used this to attack me."

"But... isn´t that Bagman-sensei´s cane?", Yukiko asked.

"Yeah, right! Hah! So that old fart really is the killer!", Kanji said triumphantly and went to the door. "Time ta pound that old shithead to the ground!"

"Tatsumi, you´re going to stay here or else I will pound _you_to the ground!", Naoto snapped at him, annoyed.

"What´d I do now?!", the muscular man snarled.

"If Yosufu Bagman really is the one who threw Ichijo-senpai and Sideu´s souls into the TV world, he will blast you to smithereens in about five second!", Naoto explained. "Remember the PC that is now in shambles! While we can´t use our Personas in this world, he seems to be able to use his powers."

"Tch! So?! One strike and that old fart´ll be out cold!", Kanji said. Naoto aimed at him with her revolver. " 'kay! 'kay! I´ll stay!"

"Besides...", Naoto said, lost in thought once again, while she watched Kou and Yosuke carry Sideu to her bed. "Bagman-san is a rather smart person. He wouldn´t just leave his cane behind after he had used it to knock me out..."

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho!", someone suddenly laughed, and the others whirled around and looked at the TV immediately. Sideu had appeared inside it, her body surrounded by a dark aura and her eyes having an unnatural yellow shine to them.

"One again... Even though the screen is completely destroyed, the Shadow apears...", Naoto mumbled.

"Kneel before me, you fools!", Sideu´s Shadow cackled, wearing a pink dress and a crown on her head, like a princess. "Everyone who wants to be near my magnificent presence, has to lower his visage in awe!"

"That´s even more disgusting than the original Sideu...", Rise grumbled.

"I, princess Sideu on the Pea, will hold my next audience when the moon has reached its full glory! Whoever dares to approach my glorious presence shall come to my throne room at that time! And do not forget the gifts, you plebeians! Oh ho ho ho ho ho!" The next moment Sideu´s Shadow had disappeared again.

"Oh, great! Another princess!", Yosuke said, annoyed, and looked at Yukiko who, having managed to forget her escapade with her Shadow, stared back at him in confusion.

"Shut it, Failsuke! I bet your Shadow was some kinda frog or something like that!", Chie snapped at him.

Yosuke´s eyes widened. "What?! How... ?! ... I mean... uh..."

"What?! Oh my god! It _was_ a slimy frog?!"

"N-no, of course not!", Yosuke hurriedly denied, but it was already too late.

"Oooh, Yosuke! Give Failsuke here a biiiiig smooch on his big mouth! Maybe he´ll turn into a beautiful princes then!", Chie teased.

"Grrr!", Yosuke grumbled, about to attack the brunette.

"U-um...", someone suddenly said after having knocked at the door for about five times which the group hadn´t notice with all that bickering from Yosuke and Chie. Ikas stood at the entrance to the lounge.

"Ikas? What are you doing here?!", Yosuke asked while Kou and Kanji hurriedly positioned themselves in front of the lifeless Sideu.

"I... I heard voice... and tha-that´s why I we-went looking to f-find out what´s g-going on.", Ikas explained and examined the room with a look of confusion, noticing all those shadrs. "Wh-what happened here?!"

"Uh... well...", Kanji stammered.

"A wild party!", Souji suddenly said.

"Huh?"

"Yeah! And our stupid little Kanji-chan here hadn´t watched where he was going and had ran smack into the TV!", Rise hurriedly continued the little fairy tale, earning herself a glare from `stupid little Kanji-chan´.

"I-Is that the re-reason why S-Sideu-san is lying on the b-bed like that?", Ikas asked, insecure.

"Yeah. Too much alcohol, y'know.", Kanji said.

"O-oh...", Ikas looked even more puzzled. "But I th-thought, Sideu-san doesn´t li-like Tatsumi-san..."

"Aw, no way! That was just some big misunderstanding!", Chie assured her. "They´re best buddies now!"

"O-oh, then it´s o-okay... I guess...", Ikas said and once again looked to the ground, as shy as always.

Souji noticed how pale she looked once again. _`Her disease must be pretty bad...´_, he thought.

"U-um... Y-you should probably st-stop partying now.", Ikas suggested. "B-Bagman-s-s-sensei is patrolling through the h-hallways today, you know."

"Oh, he is?", Naoto asked and looked at Mr. Bagman´s cane that was still laying next to her. "How very interesting..."

* * *

Darkness... Nothing but darkness was surrounding him...

But stop! .............

There was something even darker than all that darkness, right in front of him!

Something of inconceivable degrees!

He wanted to move, he wanted to scream, he wanted to... to... to do something at least... But he couldn´t... not anymore... He was doomed to stay in those shackles he had bestowed upon himself... while he was the only one who knew what was slowly starting to rise beneath the shadows...

"Ih hih hih hih! That´s sooo funny!", he could hear that something pertaining that horrifying negative energy chuckling. The being suddenly turned around to him and croaked in a fake weak voice: "Help... Help me... please..."

His plea would surely make those fools on the other side of this prison hurry...

Yes, Minato Arisato couldn´t do anything to prevent the unavoidable from happening while he had stay as a seal for the golden door that should keep Death away from this world for all eternity...


	32. Chapter 32: Talk under the moonlight

_**Chapter 32: Talk under the moonlight**_

Noriko Kashiwagi´s life hadn´t been the best in the last few years. She had been forced to retire far too early since she had arrived at work drunk a few times, also not to forget the fact that some of her former pupils had dared to accuse her of sexual harassment and incompetence. And just to top it all, nobody believed her anymore after all those cruel rumors and lies, not even the police!

"But I´m telling you, my TV has been stolen by a gang of ruthless bandits!", Kashiwagi bristled at the police officer in front of her, all that make-up she always wore completely luted because of the tears she had shed. She was currently at Inaba´s police headquarters and had told one of the officers there about the theft of her TV while the officer just stared at his notepad in boredom.

"Kashiwagi-san, are you sure you just didn´t drink one too many glasses of wine again?", the officer asked.

"How dare you! Of course not!", Kashiwagi shouted and furiously punched the table in front of her. Her pink monstrosity of a purse that she was carrying with her accidentally opened while doing so, and dozens of vibrators and other naughty things fell out of it. "Oh, um...", the former teacher stammered and hurriedly bent down to pick up all those embarrassing accessories.

"Strawberry flavor?", the officer asked while analyzing a red dildo that supposedly glowed in the darkness.

"None of your business!", Kashiwagi screeched, grabbed that monstrosity and put it back into her purse.

The officer sighed. "Kashiwagu-san, please just face the fact that your story isn´t all that credible.", he said. "First you tell us, you were subdued by your evil doppeleganger who stole thet flat screen TV. Then you suddenly change your testimony and tell us that some sex-crazy former students of yours and their prostitutes devoured you and then the TV. And now you tell us that a giant teddy bear who was talking something about `Sense!´ did it?!"

"Yes, exactly! He´d definitely shouted "Sense!"!", Kashiwagi confirmed and nodded, face serious. "... Or was it `Sensei!´...? Or `Samson´... Oh! I know! `Samsung´! That´s a TV label! He probably thought the TV belonged to that label!"

"Kashiwagi-san...", the officer sighed and only shook his head.

"NO WAY IN HELL!!!!", an angry voice suddenly could be heard when Ryotaro Dojima suddenly stormed out of one of the offices.

"KYAAA!!", Kashiwagi immediately screeched like a crazy Yaoi fangirl that had just seen Naruto and Sasuke staring at each other for more than five seconds when she saw the detective. She hurriedly tried arranging her fake breasts so that they seemed bigger and searched for her mirror inside her purse to refresh her make-up.

"But Dojima-san...", the old police officer who had followed Dojima out of the office started.

"No! Absolutely not! Inaba is my home town!", Dojima protested. "That Sanada can just take care of it himself!"

"Dojima-san, Sanada-san has his hands full just dealing with Tanaba University and the murders that happened there.", the old officer reminded him.

"Then somebody else can do it!", Dojima stubbornly refused. "And even if I did agree, what am I gonna do with my daughter, huh?! Hire some kind of nanny?!"

_`This is my chance!´_, Kashiwagi thought, body shaking in excitement, and stood up. _`Super Nanny Noriko Kashiwagi, ready for action!´_ "Oh, I wouldn´t have anything against taking care of your cute little darling.", she said while walking towards the man of her dreams, trying to look as sexy as possible.

Dojima only stared at her in absolute horror, eyebrows raised.

* * *

It was already night when a person veiled by the darkness of the time of day finally stood up from Tanaba University´s roof - after having sitten there for several hours - and stared at the person that had just now arrived on the roof.

"Did you come to challenge me again?", the person asked.

"Oh, no, no, never, my child.", the newcomer, Yosufu Bagman, chuckled.

"Child...", the person repeated and stared at the moon, lost in thought. Mr. Bagman sighed. "What?!", the person asked, angry, a ball of energy appearing in her hand.

"I feel sorry for you.", Mr. Bagman explained. "I really do, my dear."

"Huh?", the other person stared at the old man in confusion, the ball in their hand disappearing.

"We´re both different from them.", Mr. Bagman continued talking after a while and sat down. The other person followed his example hesitantly and sat down as well. "And still... You want to be just like them..."

"Why so empathetic all of a sudden, old man?", the person asked. "Did you suddenly go senile?"

"Ooooh no, my precious.", Mr. Bagman laughed. "_`I am a Shadow, the true self...´_I´m just acting according to my original´s desires. And stopping you is what the true Yosufu Bagman would have wanted."

"Because Miki would have wanted it?", the person asked.

Mr. Bagman sighed deeply. "Yes..."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, old man. You won´t stop me just by talking like that.", the person sneered.

"Oh, really?", Mr. Bagman said and pointed towards them with his index finger. The person back away just in time, but the index finger still scratched their cheek and caused an abrasion."

"You old, senile...!", the person screamed in anger and jumped up, taking a fighting stance.

"Your powers aren´t limitless, my child.", Mr. Bagman said, amused, and stood up again. "As you can see, you´ve already become more careless. And someday, you´re power will be completely depleted, and you´ll be at my mercy. But still..."

"But still!?", the person snarled and cured their wound with a Dia spell.

"If I can, I want to avoid killing you since you´re one of us.", Mr. Bagman said.

"Tch!"

"By the way, may I ask what you did to my cane?", Mr. Bagman suddenly asked. "It is not very nice to steal an old man´s walker, you know."

"I think you mean `to steal his weapon´.", the person corrected him and turned towards the window they had come. "... Shirogane has it."

"Oh?"

The person turned towards him one final time. "... Yosufu... I´m giving you one last chance. Choose the right side - our side - or I won´t have any other choice but to kill you."

"I was just about to tell you the same.", Mr. Bagman said and smiled.

"... You´re just beyond help, senile old geezer!", the person snarled and jumped through the window.

"Yes, I agree with you... Nobody can help me anymore...", Mr. Bagman saighed and looked up at the moon. "Miki... Please watch of this old fool here..."

* * *

Author´s note: So, we get to see a somewhat new side of Bagman in this chapter. Hmm...

And also, you didn´t really think Kashiwagi would just disappear like that, huh? ^^

Edit: I would´ve already posted this chapter yesterday, but seemed to had some error then, so yeah...


	33. Chapter 33: Blazing Justice

_**Chapter 33: Blazing Justice**_

Tanaba University, late afternoon; Mr. Bagman´s office...

Souji had only knocked at the door once when the old professor already allowed him entrance.

"Good evening, my dear.", Mr. Bagman greeted the silver-haired man with his usual sweet yet slimy manner and shoved some big document together with some kind of diary inside his work desk´s drawer.

_`If only I could reach the desk a bit sooner or he´d let his guard down...´_, Souji thought, remembering how Mr. Bagman had hidden a photo beneath some documents during his last visit.

"How may I help you, my boy?", Mr. Bagman asked after Souji had sat down on the uncomfortable wooden chair. "Did you find a mistake in your assignment that you handed me over by any chance? If so, then I´m afraid I´ll have to disappoint you: If the assignment is handed over to me, it will only be returned after I´ve gone over it, corrected it and graded it."

"Oh, nothing of the sort.", Souji said and opened the bag he had with him. "It´s just... I´d found this in one of the lockers." He took out several pieces of wood - apparently once a cane - out of the bag and laid them on the professor´s desk. "I think this once belonged to you, didn´t it?"

"... Yes, that is correct.", Mr. Bagman answered, flinching for just a tiny moment when he saw his destroyed cane. Every other person wouldn´t have noticed this short, unusual behavior, but Souji did.

_`So Naoto was right...´_, he thought and laughed inwardly.

"I think someone must have thought this would be funny.", Mr. Bagman sighed and stared at the destroyed cane rather tiredly. "Malicious beasts! Stealing and then destroying an old man´s walker just like that!"

"Well, the world is full of such creatures.", Souji shrugged and stared directly into Mr. Bagman´s hazy grey eyes.

"How true...", Mr. Bagman agreed and stared right back at Souji. "My uncle was just like you, you know... He loved it to roam around and play pranks, mostly at my expense."

"Are you getting at something, professor?", Souji asked, faking innocence.

"Oh, no, never.", Mr. Bagman said and smiled like usual. "I´m only suggesting that it seems I haven´t reached the goal yet... It seems I could be wrong..."

_`Again... All that blabbering about his uncle and how he could be wrong about something...´_, Souji thought. _`Is he trying to confuse me? Or is he giving me hints on purpose to make fun of me...? Hmm...´_

"Oh yes, this year will get more and more enthralling, indeed...", Mr. Bagman chuckled. "With you staying at this university for sure, my dear! My uncle always made sure of that as well!"

The old man smiled again, and Souji felt that the Tower Social Link had just been strengthened.

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", the voice in Souji´s head began to talk. "Thy bond has matured and riseth to new strength... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana..."

_`That would certainly be nice...´_, Souji thought, once again reminded in a rather painful way that the deity Philemon wasn´t there anymore to help him.

"If you´ll excuse me then, professor.", Souji said, stood up, bowed and headed for the door.

"Please send my best wishes to Shirogane and Sideu to get better.", Mr. Bagman suddenly said the moment Souji´s hand touched the doorknob. The one man stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to Mr. Bagman whose eyes seemed to glow yellow in an unnatural way all of a sudden. Souji´s eyes widened, and he was just about to say something when suddenly a gigantic wave of fury overwhelmed him, Izanagi about to break free of him once again. The world turned black around the silver-haired man while he pressed one hand against his mouth, about to vomit, and hastily opened the door with the other hand. Slowly, he staggered through the hallway and nearly crashed into Ikas who was on her way to Mr. Bagman to hand in the assignment.

"S-sorry...", he stammered, continued walking and finally lost consciousness in one of the lumber-rooms.

* * *

"Ah, there he is, at last...", he heard a familiar voice and opened his eyes. And as he´d already expected it when he´d heard that voice, he saw the small long-nosed man Igor sitting in front of him, the always lifeless seeming Aigis right next to him. "How nice of you to find the new access to the Velvet Room."

"New access?", Souji repeated, still shaky on his legs, and said down on the usual chair. Was he just imagining things or had there been a doll lying on the chair just a few seconds ago?

"You just missed another one of my guests.", Igor quickly explained. "But, back to your question: Yes. Just like there had been an access to this Velvet Room in Inaba, there is now an access in this facility which you call `University´ in your world.", Igor explained.

"A... lumber-room is now the new access...?", Souji said, slightly puzzled over that decision.

"Yes, indeed.", Igor said, nodding. "Of course, it is just a lumber-room for everyone else but you." His grin broadened. "Master Philemon´s power is simply astonishing!"

"Philemon?!", Souji repeated and jumped out of the chair. "He´s back?! Where is?! What´d he do all this time?!"

Aigis glared at him which he just ignored.

"Settle down, my boy.", Igor tried to calm him down. "Master Philemon has never truly been away. He had just been asleep."

"So he´s really back?", Souji asked, already feeling a huge relief. He would be able to change between Personas once again during their rescue of Patty Sideu.

"Yes and no.", Igor answered. "Master Philemon´s power is returning slowly; the new access is evidence of that. But he is still to weak to use unleash his full might. You will have to show a little bit more patience, my boy, before he will be able to assist you on your journey once again."

"Oh..." Souji stared at the ground, happiness vanished in an instant. "But... what had happened to him, anyway?"

"We´re currently investigating that ourselves. Data about this topic is 50 % complete.", Aigis answered with her robotic voice.

"It is like Aigis said.", Igor agreed. "There are still some mysteries about Master Philemon´s sudden disappearance. As soon as we are completely sure of everything, we are going to inform you about it."

"... Okay.", Souji said when suddenly several tarot cards appeared on the table before Igor "... You already foretold my future with the help of the cards."

"Oh ho ho ho! My boy, you have no idea.", Igor chuckled. "You still have much to learn, it seems."

"What do you mean?", Souji asked, confused. "I still remember it clearly: `The danger is very near, death right behind you. You have to hurry or everything will be lost forever behind the fog of the past´, is what you´d said back then."

"Yes, indeed.", Igor agreed, the cards shuffling themselves. "Let´s take a look at your bonds..." Chariot, Emperor, Tower, Lovers, Star, Strength and Temperance were all revealed to be in upright position. "Very good... they are all in perfect harmony... But those bonds here..." Magician, Death, Priestess, Hanged Man and Fortune were all revealed to be in downright position. "Tsk, tsk, tsk...", Igor clucked his tounge. "My boy, those bonds really aren´t in harmony with you, are they?"

"I...", Souji began but stopped when another tarot card suddenly starting shaking like crazy.

"Ooooh..." Igor looked up in alarm when the card suddenly shot up and revealed her Arcana: Justice. "Oh dear..." The card incinerated itself the next moment, burnt to ashes. "That is... worrisome."

Silence.

"... What does this mean?", Souji finally asked.

"This bond is in a very, very critical condition, my boy.", Igor explained. "If you are not careful enough, this could end in a catastrophe very soom!" Another card appeared all of a sudden. "Oho... It seems someone wants to join in on the fun!", Igor said and stared at the card like a five-year old about to unpack his birthday present. The card turned around and revealed an Arcana that was completely unknown to Souji. "The Aeon Arcana... How very interesting..."

Aigis started to glare some more.

"Another Social Link?!", Souji groaned and threw another worried glance at the burnt Justice Arcana.

"I have to admit, it has been a long time since I have seen such an interesting constellation.", Igor chuckled. "It is nearly as interesting as my other guest."

"Other guest?", Souji asked.

"That is none of your concern.", Aigis interfered and glared at Souji who glared right back at her. What was wrong with this person?! Her eyes seemed.... so cold... like she had lost something very dear to her...

"My boy, I wish you the best of luck in the coming days.", Igor suddenly said. "May we meet again soon..."

"Stop! I--", Souji began and reached out for Igor. But the next moment he was already standing in front of the lumber-room. "Damn!"

"Wh-what are you d-d-doing there?", someone suddenly asked behind him. Souji whirled around and spotted Ikas who was standing in the hallway behind him and stared at him in confusion.

"O-oh, I...", Souji began and quickly stuck his still outstreched hand into his trouser pocket. "I... What are _you_ doing here?"

"M-me?", Ikas said and looked to the ground, scared, as if she´d just now entered an interrogation. "I-I was on my way to B-B-B-Bagman-sensei, when I-I saw you r-running threw the hallways, y-your face completely pa-pale." She shyly looked to the side. "I-I was worried about you, so I follo-followed you after I had ha-handed in that a-assignment."

"Oh, thank you, Ikas.", Souji said and smiled at her. "But I´m fine, no worries."

"A-are you s-sure?", Ikas asked, her face rather pale.

"Yes, I´m sure.", Souji said. "But you know, is your illness getting worse again or am I just imagining?"

"Huh?", Ikas stared at him, confused.

"Your face... You´re really looking unhealthy again."

"I-I... Yes, i-it´s gotten wore aga-again.", Ikas said and nodded.

"Hmm... And there´s really nothing you can do about it?"

"Th-the doctors tried everything th-they could, but th-they couldn´t f-find anything.", Ikas answered. "B-but the medicine Y-Y-Yosuke-san gave me seems t-to lessen the nau-nausea." She turned beet-red while talking about Yosuke. "B-but thank you, f-fo-for worrying about me."

"That´s what friends are for.", Souji said.

"Friends...", Ikas repeated, looking to the ground in sadness. "Yes, that sounds nice..."

"I am thou... And thou art I... Thy bond has matured and riseth to new strength... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana...", the voice in Souji´s head spoke.

"Okay, I think I´ll better return to my lounge now. I still got something important to take care of.", Souji said, once again thinking about the rescue of Sideu that was about to happen soon.

"Oh... O-okay. I-I´m going back to my lounge then, t-too.", Ikas said. "G-good night, S-S-Souji-san."

"Good night, Ikas.", Souji said, nodded and went back to his lounge.

* * *

_- AceDetective33: So he had really seemed surprised when you had shown him the pieces of wood, Senpai?_

_- HassouTobiCrusher5000: Yes, though only for a second._

_- Izanagi´s Tear: So you really __**were **__right, Naoto. That cane must be really important for Bagman-sensei._

_- AceDetective33: Indeed. Bagman usually does not seem to lose his composure that easily. Him reacting that way can only mean that this cane is very important for him._

_- PolishThoseBalls: Then it´s a good thing we gave him that fake cane! =P_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Ugh! Can´t you chance your nickname! That´s GAY! Just as gay as Kanji is!_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: WTF!? SHOULD I COME OVER TO YOUR LOUNGE WITH THE BROOM, SENPAI!?!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: EHRM"WRCOk hj hnuZJI K Teddie! Do you have to start writing rubbish the moment I turn my back to you and insult Kanji!?_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: TEDDIE!!!!!_

_- HassouTobiCrusher5000: Haha, nice try, Yosuke. Teddie´s lying in the corner, sleeping. :P_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: ................. Traitor..............._

_- Meat-Momma2000: Dumbsuke..._

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Fatonaka!_

_- Souji´s Angel: Ooooh, Cat fight! Cat fight! ^.^_

_- AceDetective33: Could we please retun to our current topic?!_

_- Souji´s Angel: LOOOOOOOOL! NAOTO MADE A SPELLING MISTAKE!!! ROFL! ZOMG! OWNED!!! ROFLCOPTER!!!!!_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: "Roflcopter"? What is that?_

_- AceDetective33: I DEMAND DISCIPLINE AND ORDER RIGHT NOW!!!_

_- Souji´s Angel: Party Pooper..._

_- Souji´s Angel: Ouch! Senpaaaaiiii! Naoto hit me! :'-(_

_- AceDetective33: That was just some light pat on your bottom, Kujkawa. No need to shed crocodile tears!_

_- PolishThoseBalls: Why are you arguing in chat if you´re in the same room?_

_- AceDetective33: ..............................._

_- Souji´s Angel: Double- ................................_

_- AceDetective33: That is not important right now! What is important is that the cane is apparently very important for Bagman. I will keep onto it and analyze it._

_- AceDetective33: Furthermore, the fact that Bagman sent his best wishes to me and Sideu even though nobody should know about my injure and Sideu´s condition right now very unsettling!_

_- AceDetective33: Now, if you´ll excuse me, I will go offline now in order to get enough sleep to be able to enter the TV world tomorrow!_

_*GottaCrush´emAll went offline*_

_- Souji´s Angel: Okeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..._

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: .......................... Weirdo............._

_*AceDetective33 went offline*_

_*TonightWeGarudyneInHell went offline*_

_*HassouTobiCrusher5000 went offline*_

_*Izanagi´s Tear went offline*_

_*PolishThoseBalls went offline*_

_*Meat-Momma2000 went offline*_

_*Souji´s Angel went offline*_

_*GottaCrush´emAll went online*_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: Hah! Take that, losers! I was offline before you all this time!_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_- GottaCrush´emAll: GODDAMN YOOOUUU!!!!!!!_

_*GottaCrush´emAll went offline*_


	34. Chapter 34: Spin, measure, snip

_**Chapter 34: Spin... Measure... Snip...**_

"So, you´re studying at Tanaba University, Souji-chan?", Hisano asked Souji the next day. He had no seminars this day - only one later this day - so it was the perfect chance to babysit Shinji.

"Yes.", Souji answered while watching Hisano changing her grandson´s diapers. "Actually, I´m the one how should be doing this."

"Aww, never mind!", Hisano said and winked at him. "I won´t tell my daughter or her husband." She brought her grandson back to the crib where Shinji snatched the teether immediately and began gnawing at it. Souji absentmindedly rubbed his thumb which the Spawn of Satan had been abusing with his little teeth just a few minutes ago instead of the teether. "Well, my dear, how is your life at the university? Is it fun?"

"Um...", Souji began. _`If dozens of victims, crazy professors and exploding halls are what people mean by "fun", then yeah, it´s quite "fun".´_ "Yes, of course. I mean I can see my friends there everyday, and the seminars are very interesting and informative."

"I´m glad to hear that, my boy.", Hisano said and then looked around in confusion. "Hmm... Just where is...?"

"Hmm?"

"My reading glasses, my dear.", Hisano explained. "I know exactly that I´ve deposited them on the table when you rang the doorbell. But they´re not here anymore. Strange..." She looked at her grandson who was still abusing the teether. "You didn´t steel them, now did you, you little rascal?" She chuckled, amused. "Well, I´m sure they´re somewhere, so it isn´t really too bad. Now, tell me, Souji-chan, what have you been doing all these years."

"Well, I...", Souji started, slightly hesitant, not wanting to mention all those parties he´d been at.

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", the voice in Souji´s head began to speak. "Thy bond hast matured and riseth to new strength... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperance Arcana..."

* * *

Later that day Souji had to attend Mr. Bagman´s seminar where the old professor rather talked about the `slowly degenerating youth´ instead of teaching - "Parents really are the most pathetic creatures I have ever seen! First they are so delighted about the first steps and first words of their children, then they spend the next seventeen years yelling at the brat to siddown and shut up already! Hah! Today´s youth, I tell you! If only they´d always remained innocent and cute little children! Just take a look at Hanamura, you baboons! Still playing with his teddy bear like the good obedient boy he is!" -.

Shortly after that enlightening seminar Souji, Yosuke and Kou went to Rise and Naoto´s lounge after saying goodbye to Ikas.

"Okay. Everyone ready?", Souji asked his friends who nodded grimly.

"Yap. Let´s get that annoying bitch outta there!", Kou said and entered the TV together with the others.

".....!" Professor Yamagishi gasped when she looked through the slightly opened door and saw the group of young people enter the TV. She had seen Seta-san and his other friend going to Shirogane-san´s lounge a few times now, and against better judgement had followed them this time, and now... she had seen it with her own eyes. _`Our fears were not groundless, after all...´_, the professor thought while quietly closing the door and, sweating like mad, wandering through the hallways, not noticing the person that was watching her from the other side of the corridor.

"You´re a very baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad girl, professor... tsk, tsk, tsk...", the person chuckled. "Meddling into other people´s business like that... Yesss... You´ll be the next one..."

* * *

"Ouch!", Yosuke whined, having landed at the ground face-first even after visiting the TV world a few times now since their arrival at Tanaba University.

"Dumbsuke...", Chie sneered.

"You´re so eloquent with words, Chie-san!", Kou sighed dreamily at her.

"Huh?!", Chie hurriedly and worriedly backed away from the basketball-crazy man.

"Can you sense her, Kujikawa?", Naoto asked Rise who had already summoned her Persona Himiko.

"Just a moment...", Rise mumbled while her Persona tried its best to locate Sideu. "Ugh... The fog´s really thick again today... Hmm... Hrmmmm... Come on... Where is that stupid bitch...? ... Um... Ah, there! I found her!" He Persona disappeared in an instant. "Okay, follow me!" She started walking towards the east, followed by the others.

* * *

"You´re really certain they entered the TV?!", Akihiko asked Fuuka, eyes wide-eyed, inside the office the police officers could use at the university.

"Yes, absolutely sure...", Fuuka answered, expression serious, and looked to the other people that were present: Mitsuru Kirijo, a white old dog sitting in her lap, a young man with short brown hair who seemed a bit tired - probably because of the jet lag - and Junpei Iori who was sitting a bit away from the others.

"So these are the young people who are now the only ones able to continue where we left off.", Mitsuru said, absentminded.

"But what exactly happens when they enter the TV?", the young brown-haired man asked.

"No idea, Ken.", Junpei said, shrugging, and stuck his hand at the TV in the room. Just as expected, his hand met the the cool screen, not getting through.

"Wherever entering the TV might lead the, Yosufu Bagman once told me that they´re always talking about `that other world´ and `Shadows´.", Akihiko said. "That statement was obviously a feint, meant to throw us off track. I´m sure of it now."

"Those people are not the ones we should be fighting against. We have to protect them.", Fuuka agreed.

"`That other world´, huh...", Junpei repeated. "So what? Do they, like, land in another world and beat the shit outta Shadows there, or what?"

"It seems like it.", Mitsuru said and sipped at her cup of coffee. "Brrr! Akihiko! That coffee is hideous!"

"This isn´t a 5 star café, Mitsuru. Sorry.", Akihiko reminded her. "But one thing´s certain; the events after Tartarus disappeared are getting cleared and cleared: Where the Shadows disappeared to after that giant building disappeared... What the Abyss of time was exactly... `That other world´ holds all of those answers!"

"But they won´t just tell us, right?", the young man named Ken said.

"No. Considering all of these murders throughout Japan and at the university and the explosion of the PC, they will most likely mistrust us.", Mitsuru agreed. "Our only chance is to wait for the right opportunity to reveal ourselves and offer them our help." She groped for the revolver in her pocket.

"And what about Ai-chan and Yuka-tan?", Junpei asked.

"We still can´t find them.", Mitsuru answered.

"Hmm...", Fuuka looked to the ground, worried. "I hope that nothing bad happened to them."

"Nah, Yuka-tan´s probably too busy to grace us with her presence, and Ai-chan´s probably tourin´ around the world right now! Bwahahahaha!", Junpei laughed.

"I hope you´re right, Iori...", Mitsuru sighed. "I really hope so..."

* * *

After some walking the friends finally reached a place that looked like a giant arena. Six huge candles hung throughout the dark-red painted arena, and at the end of this area was a gigantic, jet-black door.

"... H-hey, Rise... Are you sure we´re at the right place?", Chie asked, slightly insecure.

"Yes. This doesn´t look like a place a princess would reside at.", Yukiko agreed with her.

"Hmm...", Rise summoned her Persona once again. "... No, I´m sure this is the place... I feel the presence of a person here, and... Oh!" Her persona disappeared again, and her eyes widened. "That... That´s not Sideu! There´s someone else here! It´s the same person I felt inside Kou´s dungeon!" She whirled around, trying to find the source of the presence.

"Who´s there?!", Souji shouted.

No answer.

"This isn´t funny!", Teddie grumbled. "Hide-and-seek is beary stupid! Come out right now!"

No answer.

"Spin...", a voice whispered that shocked the friends very core.

"Measure...", another voice whispered, cold wind flaring up.

"Snip...", a third voice whispered, ice-cold.

"Rise, are you... sure that there´s only one person here?", Yosuke asked, back to back with the other while the wind became stronger and stronger.

"Yes, totally sure!", Rise replied and tried to see something despite the tempest that was now roaring through the arena, making them close their eyes.

"What´s happening?! Who´s there?!", Naoto shouted against the tempest. Cold-hearted laughing was her only answer.

"Shit!", Kanji suddenly shouted, about to be blown away by the wind.

"Get out...", one of the voices snarled.

"Leave this place...", the second one giggled.

"... Or we will...", the third cold voice continued.

"... Spin..."

"... Measure..."

"... Snip..."

"Aaaaaaaah!", Yukiko screamed when a rather strong wind gust blew her against the wall.

"Yukiko!!!", Chie shouted in horror and tried to make her way to her best friend through all of that wind.

"Who are you?! Why are you doing this?!", Kou shouted.

"This place is sacred...", one of the voice giggled.

"You have no business here...", the cold voice said.

"LEAVE!!!", the third voice snarled.

"... Partner?", Yosuke said and questioningly looked at Souji.

"Let´s just... ugh...", Souji groaned, trying not to fall down. "Let´s just do... what they´re saying! Retreat!"

The others nodded and started to slowly make their way to the aren´s exit.

"Spin..."

"Measure..."

"Snip..."

The words of the three voiced followed them the whole way to the exit through the wind. And finally - suddenly - when everyone had passed the exit the storm disappeared in an instant, if it never had happened.

"What the hell was that?!", Kanji asked the others.

"No idea...", Rise answered, her whole body shaking from the cold wind, and tried to rearrange her hair that the wind had blown every which way.

"Whatever it was, we should avoid this place at all cost.", Souji said.

"You really felt the same presence as the one in Ichijo-senpai´s dungeon, Kujikawa?", Naoto asked the teenie idol.

"Yes, no doubt about it.", Rise said and summoned her Persona. "Oh... But it´s gone now..."

"Hmm...", Naoto took a step into the arena. The storm was back in an instant, but disappeared again when Naoto exited the place once again the next moment. "So this was not that person´s doing..."

"What could that person - whoever the hell they are - have wanted here?", Kou asked the others.

"The voices said this place is sacred.", Souji said.

"Sure as hell doesn´t look like that to me.", Kanji said, staring at the creepy arena.

"Do you know anything about this place, Teddie?", Yukiko asked the blond Shadow.

"Nope, no idea.", Teddie said. "But this place... It feels so... beary sad..."

"Sad? How so?", Naoto inquired.

"... I dunno... But if I look at this bear-ren arena... my poor little bear heart fills with a deep sadness..."

Naoto sighed. "More unanswered questions..."

"I found here!", Rise suddenly said. "I found Sideu!"

"This time for sure?", Yosuke asked, skeptically.

"Yap, this time for sure! Follow me!", Rise said and started walking, followed by the others.

Tedd threw one last look towards the creepy arena. _`Nostalgic...´_, was his last thought before he finally started following the others.

"Burn...", one of the voices whispered.

"My..."

"Dread..."

* * *

Author´s note: Nocturne reference FTW!!!


	35. Chapter 35: Castle of fairy tales

_**Chapter 35: Castle of fairy tales**_

"Oniichan! Oniichan!", a three year old girl shouted, her hair brown and braided, while she happily ran after her older, silver-haired brother.

It was a cold November day, and the wind was soughing through the narrow alleyway at which end an old orphanage stood; the only one on Tatsumi Port Island.

"Oniichan! Oniichan!", the little girl shouted again with her slightly screechy voice while continuing to follow her brother through the orphanage´s garden.

"What´s the matter?", the silver-haired boy finally asked, slightly annoyed, and stopped.

The little girl jumped at him and clung to his legs. "I love you, Oniichan!", the girl giggled and looked up at her brother who ruffled her hair in an endearing gesture.

"I love you, too... Miki..."

* * *

"No!", the silver-haired boy screamed, near tears, and kicked the man who stood in front of him against his shin.

"Akihiko!", the female supervisor shouted in horror and bowed in apology in front of Akihiko´s potential new father.

"I don´t wanna go with ´em! Not without my sister Miki!", Akihiko continued to scream and ran upstairs to hide together with his little sister.

It was always the same: They always wanted him, but not his sister... But he wouldn´t let them! He and Miki would always be together... forever...

* * *

"What´s that, Oniichan?", the four years old Miki asked her brother Akihiko who was playing with something that sparkled so strangely.

"It´s called a lighter, Miki.", Akihiko explained and and showed her the tiny flame that came out of it.

"Wow!", Miki shouted in fascination...

* * *

"Miki! MIKI!!!", Akihiko shouted, kneeling on the ground, eyes full of tears, while stared at the orphanage that was ablaze, inside still his sister and several other children. "Miki..."

"Well, well...", a slightly gruff voice suddenly said next to the boy, and Akihiko whirled around to look at an older man. "You don´t just play with fire, my dear. Such a baaaad child! To just steal the lighter like that and play around with it! My, really!", the old man said and grinned maliciously. "But wasn´t it actually your fault, my dear! Oh, that´s right! _You_ were the one who had shown her that lighter! My, such drama!"

"I... I...", little Akihiko stammered.

"Murderer...", Mr. Bagman whispered, grinning like a maniac.

"No..."

"Murderer~..."

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!"

* * *

Screaming, Akihiko was wide awake in an instant and frantically looked around the dark room, sweating like mad.

"A nightmare...", he mumbled and stared at the data on which he´d fallen asleep, among them a document which tried to explain the meaning of a five-ragged star circle. _`Bagman... Now I´m actually adding him into this nightmare... A fitting role for him! The big bad man..._

* * *

A dark forest, the trees raven-hued and bare. Amidst this setting a giant amusement park had been built. But all of its attractions seemed to be quite old and rusty... except one: A giant castle which, painted in the same colour as the tree, loomed like a giant and seemed to reach the heavens, the half-moon above him bathing it in a creepy, unnatural light.

"So this is Sideu´s dungeon...", Naoto mumbled while walking towards the abandoned amusement park. Souji opened the gate made of steel and walked the anfractuous path made of pebbles up to the castle.

"Welcome to Destiny Island´s wonderful Mystery Castle.", a rather cold voice suddenly said when the friends entered the castle´s foyer.

"Whoa!", Yosuke screamed in horror and immediately clung to Chie.

"Get away from me, Failsuke!", she snarled and kicked him away from her.

"The story you´re about to hear now is about a beautiful princess and two princes.", the cold voice continued to speak. "What dramatic conclusions will await you at the end of your way through here? ... Well then, open the door and see for yourself the fairy tale that´s about to unfold."

The door to the next room was opened with warning, and Yosuke screeched again while jumping into Chie´s arms.

"FAILSUKE!!!", the brunette screamed, face beet-red, and gave him a `critical hit to the nads´.

"Let us depart on a journey full of mystery and adventure!", the voice ended its speech.

"Should we... Should we go on?", Yukiko asked, slightly unsure.

Souji nodded and took a step into the room.

"Hee hoo!", someone shouted the next moment, and a being that looked like a snowman and something that look like a head made of pumpkin wearing a cloak entered the room from the other door.

"What the hell?!", Kanji shouted in confusion when the cute-looking beings suddenly threw Bufu and Agi attacks at them which the friends hurriedly dodged.

"Agi!", Yukiko shouted, breaking the tarot card in front of her and summoning Konohana-sakuya. The snowman Jack Frost chuckled and shot to the side to hide behind Pyro Jack who swallowed the fire.

"You hee totally missed hoo!", Jack Frost giggled and fired another salvo of Bufu at the investigation team.

"Did we enter some kinda Disney movie of what?!", Chie shouted while blocking the Bufu attacks together with Teddie and then throwing several Bufu attacks of their own at Pyro Jack. Jack Frost shot towards and simply ate the ice attacks.

"Agi!", Yukiko screamed anew, but the little snowman had already hidden itself behind his firy friend again.

"Ugh! Just seperate those two already!", Rise snarled at the others.

"Strip, Rise-chan! Strip! I´m sure this´ll get their attention!", Teddie suggested hopefully. Rise´s answer was to throw one of her shoes at his face.

"Yosuke!", Souji shouted at the music-loving man. "Use Garu against those two! Come on!"

"Let´s do this, Jiraiya!", Yosuke bellowed, summoned his Persona and separated those two cute beings by blowing each of them into another directions.

"Agi!", Yukiko shouted, aiming at Jack Frost.

"Bufu!, Chie shouted, aiming at Pyro Jack.

"Hee damn it, hoo!", Jack Frost wined while he and his friends broke down into tiny metallic parts.

"Robots?!", Kou said, dumbfounded, when the piles of screws and metal suddenly decayed into black fog which was blown every which way.

"Shadows in robotic form that copycat stuffed animals... That was surprising...", Naoto admitted.

"Okay, let´s continue!", Souji said and went through the foyer to the next room.

"This story took place not long ago...", the cold voice suddenly continued its story.

"Hmm... If one listens very closely, the voice slightly resembles Sideu´s voice.", Naoto said.

"So it´s her Shadow?", Rise asked.

"Seems like it.", Souji said.

"In a certain kingdom there once lived a beautiful, pure princess. Her beauty fascinated the kingdom and always made her subjects smile in adoration. However, one day the beautiful princess was captured by a monster, blinded by her beauty... She was thrown into a dark tower and locked there.", Sideu´s Shadow continued. "Two princes lived in the neighbouring kingdom who were very good friends of the princess. Their personalities were the complete opposite of each other. One of the princes was always kind... The other one was gruff, and he had a fondness for acting violently and using underhanded tactics. And thus, behind their backs, people started calling them the `good prince´ and the `bad prince´. Furthermore, both princes were in love with the princess..." Sideu´s Shadow ended its speech.

"What the hell was that shit about exactly?", Kanji asked.

"I´d say her Shadow wants to tell the hidden wishes and fears of its original.", Yukiko said.

"That, or it is some kind of riddle.", Naoto added. "You probably haven´t noticed it because of the fight a few seconds ago, but there were two paintings of both princes in the foyer. I assume those paintings are meant to display the good prince and the bad prince."

"And?", Kou asked.

"We´ll see, Ichijo-senpai.", Naoto answered and looked around in the room they had now entered: On the other side of the room there was a painting of a princess that looked like Sideu, to both sides of them there was a door that let to another room, one door black, the other one white. Beneath the princess´ painting there was one word: _Choose_.

"I don´t like choosing someone! All those politicians are liars, anyway!", Teddie protested, getting whacked by Yosuke seconds later.

"That´s _not_what it means, stupid bear!", Yosuke snarled.

"I´d choose the white door.", Kou suggested. The others looked at him questioningly. "Well, it´s obvious, isn´t it! This whole dungeon is structured like a fairy tale, and everyone knows that goodness is always white! Also, there are the good and bad prince. It must be the white door!"

"I beg to differ, Ichijo-senpai.", Naoto disagreed and looked at the black door.

"Huh?"

"As I have already told you, there are the paintings of two princes in the foyer, one at the left wall, one at the right wall. One of the princes wears bright clothes and is obviously meant to be the good prince. The other one wears dark clothes, thus being the bad prince.", Naoto slowly explained so that everyone could follow her. "The good prince is on the right wall, the bad prince on the left wall. In this room there is a black door to the right side while a white door is to the left side. I am sure the paintings in the foyer show us where we are meant to go. And since the good prince is on the right side, we have to take the black door on the right side.

"But black is the colour of evil.", Yukiko said.

"Not always. In Chinese culture it is the colour of calmness and accord.", Naoto corrected her. "But anyway, this has nothing to do with it." She looked at the princess´ painting. "I would surely take the white door under normal circumstances, but Sideu´s Shadow said that the bad prince loved to use underhanded tactics. If he really is that kind of a person, he would certainly stoop so low as to paint his door white while painting the good prince´s door black."

"But they´re just fictive characters!", Kou objected.

"This is a riddle, Ichijo-senpai, so we have to act as if the princess and the two princes were real.", Naoto reminded him. "I am completely sure that we have to choose the black door. Trust me." She looked at Souji who would choose as their leader. The silver-haired man nodded towards her and walked to the black door, followed by the others. The moment the last one of their group had walked through the door, the black door turned white while the other door turned black and exploded.

"Phew! Nicely done, Ace Detective Naoto!", Yosuke praised her, grinning. Naoto nodded in thanks and started climbing a long spiral stair, keeping their weapons ready in case more Shadows would attack them.

* * *

"They´re really good.", a person wearing the clothes of a lift assistant sad.

"Yes, they are.", the taller second person agreed.

The first person turned around and stared at the giant golden door behind them.

"Help... Help...", a choked voice could be heard from it.

"Soon...", the first person promised him. "Very soon..."

* * *

Author´s note: I was seriously debating over how to structure this damn dungeon! In the end I decided to purposely use a dungeon of _Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga_.

Also, I´m just gonna answer reviews in the author´s note now to spare me from writing mail after mail. ^^;

Here I go:

- _Lunamonki_: Yes, she has yet to appear, that is correct. But Yukari never really was one of my favourite characters.

- _Rebellion598_: "Burn my Dread" is indeed a theme of Persona 3, yes.

- _Kisdota-The Freak Gamer:_ If you take a closer look at chapter 34 you´ll get some information how long until the Persona 3 crossover.

- _KeRose_ and Crystal _Amaris_: Yes, those three voices are indeed the Moira sister.

- _Patcheresu_: Thanks... I... guess...?................


	36. Chapter 36: Yukiko's secret

_**Chapter 36: Yukiko´s secret**_

Early morning at Tanaba University...

"No! Let me go!!"

Yosuke fell out of his bed in shock and landed directly on Teddie´s head.

"Ouch! Sensei! Yosuke made my head hurt beary much just now!", Teddie complained while Souji and Yosuke were already at the door. Thou Yosuke hastily made a retreat when he realized that he´d slept naked again, and now dozens of male students were pointing gloatingly at his `little friend´.

"Souji!", Kou shouted, right behind Souji together with Kanji. "Wasn´t that Yukiko-san who´d just screamed?!"

Souji only nodded, already seeing Yukiko lying in the center of dozens of TV screen shards in his mind, but stopped in confusion when he saw Chie near the PC who was watching Yukiko and her mother doing something akin to a wrestling match.

"Chie!", Souji said, and the brunette whirled around. "What´s going on here?! What´s Amagi-san doing here?!"

"Um... well...", Chie started and looked to the side sheepishly.

"... Chie?", Kou dug deeper while Kanji tried to end the fight between mother and daughter with gentle force.

"To just ignore my decision like that!", Amagi-san screamed at her daughter.

"Chie!", Souji demanded an explanation.

"Uh... Well, there´s something we didn´t tell you and the others, Souji...", Chie admitted to her leader.

Only now Amagi-san noticed that Souji was now present, too - as well as the other members of the Investigation Team (Yosuke had thankfully stowed his `little friend´ away now) -, and jumped at the silver-haired.

"You!", the mother shouted at the completely complexed Souji. "You little punk! It´s all your fault! You made my daughter do this, didn´t you!?"

"E-excuse me, ma'am?", Souji asked, the others just staring at them, wordlessly.

"I had _PROHIBITED _my daughter to enroll at Tanaba University!", Amagi-san continued to scream. "She doesn´t need to study in order to be my successor! And she doesn´t need you or any of the others, either!" She glared at the others.

"A-Amagi-sa--", Chie started hesitantly.

"The same goes for you, Chie Satonaka!", Amagi now snapped at Chie. "I thought I could at least count on you! But it seems I was sadly mistaken! Humph!"

"... nough now...", Yukiko suddenly mumbled, her head lowered and her body shaking.

"... What?!", her mother asked.

"I said, `That´s enough now´!!", Yukiko shouted at her mother who took a few steps back due to her daughter´s behaviour, eyes huge. "This is my life! I´m not a little child anymore!!"

"Yuki--"

"I won´t let you insult my friends any more, mothers!", Yukiko interrupted her. "They didn´t do anything wrong! They didn´t talk me into going to this university! It was my decision, and I _will_ stay here!!"

"... Is that your last word?"

"Yes!!"

"Fine...", Amagi-san said, whirled around and went to the entrance door. "From this moment, you´re no longer welcomed at the Amagi Inn." Yukiko cringed. "You won´t see any money for these... these studies." Still shaking, Yukiko nodded. "Sayonara..." Amagi-san finally left the building. Seconds later, Yukiko sank to the ground, tears running down her face.

"Yukiko...", Chie said, sad, swallowed and kneeled down to her best friend to help her up, the others still only staring at her in shock. "Come on... Let´s get you to our lounge first and run you a bath. Things surely won´t look that bad anymore after that, I promise.", Chie tried to cheer up the black-haired.

Yukiko nodded, her face ashen, and then looked at Souji. "Souji-k-kun, c... can we please enter the TV world today?", she sniffed.

"... Of course.", he promised her and tried to smile.

"Thank you..."

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", the voice in Souji´s head began to speak, and for the first time Souji wished that thunder would strike the voice this instant. "Thou hast revived an old bond from the depths of its deepest slumber... It brings thee closer to the truths behind truths..." The Priestess Arcana appeared before his eyes. "Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana..." Souji began to feel a warmth in his heart, a warmth he could very well do without right now.

Well, he had been asking himself while Yukiko had seemed a bit reluctant sometimes during their stay at Tanaba University. Now he knew why...

* * *

"As already told in our story, the bad prince was madly in love with the princess.", Sideu´s Shadow continued the story as soon as the group had left the portal that Rise had created the last time they´d been in the dungeon and had entered the room after the long spiral stairs.

"More riddles...", Naoto mumbled and threw a short glance at Yukiko who still seemed rather absentminded. Had it really been such a good idea to enter the TV world today...?

"He always tried to stand between the princess and the good prince whom the princess was in love with.", Sideu´s Shadow continued. "He was completely delusional, crazy to get her attention and affection. But try as he might... No matter what he did... Her feelings for the good prince never changed."

The wall in front of them moved to the side and a shiny green monitor was revealed, showing several figures. One figure looked like a princess, two others like princes - one black, one white -, other figures looked like mirrors and reflectors. The princess was producing a white light that shined towards the white prince who seemed to be captured in a golden cage. The light couldn´t reach the white, good prince, though, since the dark, bad prince was standing directly between the princess and the good prince.

"What´s... that supposed to be?", Yosuke asked, perplexed.

"As Sideu´s Shadow just told us, the princess was in love with the good prince.", Naoto said and pointed at the princess´ light - her love - which was meant for the good prince. "However, the bad prince always interfered with them since he wanted her love." She pointed at the bad prince who was standing between the princess and the good prince and was hogging the princess´ light - her love.

"I see.", Kou said and looked at the reflectors and mirrors. "So we have to redirect the princess´ `love´ to the good prince, right?"

"It would seem so.", Naoto answered.

"The good prince seemed to be finally captured, no way out in sight.", Sideu´s Shadow suddenly continued with her cold voice. "Captured in a cage, surrounded by monsters..." The wall to their right moved to the side and revealed dozens of Shadows.

"Grrr!", Teddie hissed.

"... the princess´ love out of reach, and the escape blocked..." The wall to their left moved to the side and revealed a door that was sealed with a barrier of light. "... the end of this tragic love story seemed to have arrived..." The Shadows which once again looked like cute stuffed animals pounced on the friends.

"Quick! We have to solve the puzzle!", Naoto shouted and tried to get through the battle field to reach the monitor.

"... However... there was a sagely wanderer who came to the couple´s aid...", Sideu´s Shadow continued her story. A bright light suddenly fell upon the completely complexed Kanji who was in the middle of pounding a pink alligator with his folding chair. "Only he could still help those two..."

"Oh, great...", Naoto sighed. "Tatsumi! Go to the monitor and solve the puzzle!"

"Wha´?!", Kanji screeched and dodged several fire balls of a copy of Pyro Jack.

"`Only he could still help those two´! You have to solve the puzzle!", Naoto snapped at him, grabbed him and dragged him towards the screen. "Do it!"

"But..."

"NOW!!!"

"Alright, oy!"

Naoto stormed towards the others to help them fight and summoned her Persona. A little bit away from her she could see Yukiko standing at a corner, smashing the Shadows that came too close to her with her fan hesitantly. "Amagi-senpai!", Naoto admonished her. Yukiko only startled.

"Iiii´m... down...", Teddie groaned when a Ziodyne spell hit him and smashed him against a wall where he remained lying, unconscious.

"Yukiko! Take care of Teddie! Hurry!", Souji shouted at Yukiko and kept clobbering the Barbie doll that screamed `I´m a cutie! Love me, baby! love me!´ again and again.

"Huh?", Yukiko looked up, puzzled. Only now did she notice that Teddie had been knocked out and she was the only healer left; Yosuke was too busy with fighting Shadows, and a puny Dia spell wouldn´t be able to help Teddie in this case. "Persona!", she shouted and crushed the tarot card.

Nothing happened.

"What?!", Yukiko shouted in horror.

"Amagi-senpai?!", Naoto asked and then glared at Kanji who was still standing in front of the monitor doing absolutely nothing. "For heaven´s sake, it really can´t be that difficult, Tatsumi! Even Fails-- um, Yosuke-senpai could solve that puzzle in two seconds!!"

"PERSONA!!", Yukiko shouted anew.

Nothing happened.

"No... no, I...", the black-haired woman stammered.

"What?!", Rise suddenly gasped and looked around the room frantically.

"What´s wrong?", Souji asked her.

"I sense a Shadow! It´s a strong one!", Rise informed them.

Icy coldness started creeping over Yukiko´s entire being. "So we meet again, Yukiko...", a familiar, distorted voice said behind her, and she whirled around in pure horror: Shadow Yukiko, wearing her pink princess gown, had appeared in the room.

* * *

Author´s note: Uuh... Yeeeaaaah.... Oh yeah! It seems some people I think I made Akihiko´s sister Miki up (I got a mail about that). This is NOT the case. Akihiko mentions her several times in Persona 3, and in Persona 3 Portable he even talks about her in his Social Link. The fire at the orphanage is also mentioned in Persona 3. And Akihiko becoming a police officer is also canon, because he is something like that in the anime. I´m only using existing facts in that regard. ;)

Also, someone sent me a link to a funny Persona 4 manga (I forgot who the person was). I already knew this manga, but thank you nevertheless!


	37. Chapter 37: Red rage

_**Chapter 37: Red rage**_

Yukiko´s Shadow, wearing her pink princess gown, had just now appeared in the room.

"Hello, Yukiko...!", the Shadow happily said with its distorted voice. Original and Shadow stared at each other while the fight between the rest of the group and the other smaller Shadows continued. Yosuke had managed to get to Teddie by now and tried to heal him with _`Dia´_ as much as possible.

"Yukiko! Get a hold of yourself!", Souji shouted, trying to get to her, but getting knocked back by a giant teddy bear.

"Y... Y-you´re... me...", Yukiko stammered.

"Oh ho ho ho ho!", Shadow Yukiko giggled. "It seems the sweet little one has learned a thing or two since our last meeting."

"Wh-what...?"

"But just saying it isn´t enough, princess.", Yukiko´s Shadow snarled. "You have to really mean it."

"I-I know that you´re me!", Yukiko said hesitantly.

"Nooo~! All you _know_is that I´ll go berserk if you say anything else!", her Shadow laughed at her, grinning gloatingly. "Ooooh, poor me~! Look at me, everyone! I´m suuuch a poor girl!"

"N-no... not this time...", Yukiko mumbled, her heart starting to beat faster and faster in fear, and tried to plug her ears.

"My mother, that stupid cow!", Shadow Yukiko snarled. "It´s all her fault that my life is so miserable! I deigned to do her the favour of taking over the inn, I even wanted to study in order to prepare myself for it! And what´s her answer to my efforts?! She just throws me away like garbage! That monster!"

"Stop it!", Yukiko screamed.

"Megido!", Naoto shouted, aiming at Yukiko´s Shadow.

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho!", the Shadow only laughed while the attack didn´t do anything to her.

"What?!"

"Shadows can´t be... hurt as long... as they´re in this form...", Teddie groaned, having regained consciousness, and healed himself completely.

"What do you mean?!", Chie asked while galactic punting a Ken doll.

"It´s currently in a state between Shadow and Persona!", Teddie explained and dodged another Ziodyne attack. "They can´t be harmed as long as they are in that state! The only one who can end it now is Yuki-chan!"

"You gave it your all, and now you´ve lost everything.", Shadow Yukiko continued her spiteful speech. "You´re finished! You have nothing left, my dear Yukiko!"

"No... I... I still have my... my...", Yukiko started.

"Your what? Your friends?!", Shadow Yukiko interrupted her. "Hah! And how exactly is that fact going to help you?! Can they guarantee you a save future?! Can they make up for all those years you´ve wasted licking your mother´s shoes?! No!"

"How da--?!", Yukiko started, but hurriedly stopped and only shook her head, near tears.

"Yes? Yes? What was that?", her Shadow dug deeper. "Come on~! You either accept me or not! What´s it gonna be?"

"Tatsumi! How long until you´re finally finished!?", Naoto snapped at Kanji who had to restart the puzzle for about nine times already.

"Well... Ya see...", Kanji only stammered while the `Game Over´ screen appeared on the monitor again.

"Ugh!", Naoto groaned and dodged a baby riding an unicycle that had tried to clobber her one with its over-sized rattle.

"Come on already! We don´t have all day! Just tell them what you had to go through after your little _`adventure´_had ended a few years ago! Cough it up!", Shadow Yukiko suddenly shouted.

"You... You´re...", Yukiko stammered.

"Yukiko! Please, don´t!", Chie pleaded.

"YOU´RE ME!!!", Yukiko screamed.

"... *Snrk*... Oho... Ohohohoho... *snrk* Not, that´s too... ahahahaha... that´s just too much... *snrk* BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!", her Shadow laughed and fell to the ground where it laughed its ass off.

"Wh-what...?!"

"`You´re me!´, is what your mouth is saying! `You´re NOT me!´, is what your heart is saying!", Yukiko´s Shadow continued to laugh while the other smaller Shadow started to dissipate into black fog that started flowing towards the black-haired woman´s Shadow. "This time... This time for sure... I will finally be free...", Yukiko´s Shadow cheered, the black fog swallowing her, growing.

"Now...", Yukiko cried, voice chocked. "You´re... me... You´re me. YOU´RE ME!!", she screamed in despair, but her Shadow grew taller and taller and took on another form. "Agh!" Yukiko collapsed, unconscious.

"Hah! I got it!", Kanji cheered, having finally solved the simple puzzle. The cage around the good prince vanished, and in the same moment the barrier of light that had blocked the path to the next room vanished as well.

"Too late...", Naoto sighed and stared at the fog that started to lift around the Shadow, her whole body tense.

"I am a Shadow, the true self! *snrk*", they could hear the Shadow giggle. Moments later a giant fire-red bird appeared before the friends, wearing a black mask that had tears drawn on it and carrying massive weights that were fastened to its wings. "Just where could he be? Where is the prince who will save me from this hell?!"

"That´s... That´s not exactly how Yukiko´s Shadow had looked like the last time!", Chie said with huge eyes, noticing the flames the Shadow´s body produced. She would be dead if Tomoe got hit by them.

"That thing´s strong!", Rise warned them. "Its Arcana is the Priestess, and fire attacks are useless, as you can probably guess!"

"Time for a little snack!", Yukiko´s Shadow suddenly shouted and flew towards the unconscious Yukiko, beak wide open.

"Bufu!!", Chie shouted in horror.

"Grah! You´re in my way!", Shadow Yukiko snarled, dodged the ice attack and shot upwards a few metres. Several salvoes of different elemental attacks were thrown at the Shadow who dodged again. "I said you´re in my way, fools!", the Shadow screamed and flapped its wings several times despite the weights.

"Aah!", Rise cried out when she was thrown against the monitor together with the others. The monitor crashed and its green shards rained down upon the Investigation Team, causing several abrasions.

"Bufu!", Chie shouted again when the bird tried to swallow Yukiko a second time.

"Argh!", the Shadow groaned, the attack having it it, and was thrown to the side. "Miserable swine!", the being hissed and created a white glowing barrier that would protect it against ice attacks for a while. "Don´t interfere!" This time the Shadow shot towards the group, destroying anything and everything with the heavy weights on its way. Several pillars of the room collapsed.

"We have to get out of here!", Souji yelled and began to carry Yukiko out of the slowly collapsing room, Kanji helping him while the others threw attacks at the Shadow to protect them.

"You won´t get away!", the Shadow screamed, dodged to the side and shot towards Souji.

"Senpai!!", Rise screamed in horror when her Persona suddenly emitted several sparkles from its antenna. The sparkles hit the bird which missed Souji and crashed against a wall instead.

"Out! Out!!", Souji screamed, the room collapsing completely.

"Phew!", Yosuke sighed in relief when they reached the next room - a giant area full of lifts -, the room behind them having buried Yukiko´s Shadow.

"Your Persona can fight, Kujikawa?", Naoto asked Rise.

"It... seems like it.", Rise said and scratched her head, seemingly surprised herself that her Persona Himiko had used the attack _`Pulinpa´_to confuse Shadow Yukiko.

"Anyway, we have to get out of here as fast as possible and--", Souji started, but stopped in horror when Shadow Yukiko shot out of the debris and punched Rise unconscious with one of the weights.

"We´re not finished yet!", the beast screamed. "You ought to be ashamed of you! Hitting a princess like that, you barbarians!"

"Rise-chan!", Teddie shouted and ran towards the teenie idol to heal her.

"Foolish bear!", Shadow Yukiko yelled and threw several fire balls at Teddie.

"Fuck! Siegfried!", Kou yelled and managed to protect Teddie with his Persona that had a slight protection against fire. Having been hit by the attack, Kou was thrown to the side. Yosuke hurriedly healed the small wound with his Persona while Teddie tended to Rise.

Dozens of elemtal attacks were thrown at Shadow Yukiko again who merely created a temporary shield against ice attacks while letting the other attacks hit it, not causing any damage at all.

"You won´t get out of here alive!", Yukiko´s Shadow shouted and did another dive at the group, the weights it carried destroying the floor.

"If this keeps up, we will be buried under the debris!", Chie screamed in panic and looked up at the door above him that was sealed by another barrier of light.

They could hear Shadow Sideus speech in the background again, but the noise the battle created was too loud to hear the continuation of her fairy tale.

"Kneel before me!", Yukiko´s Shadow yelled and fired several fire balls at Kanji who took shelter behind a statue of the good prince that stood on one of the lifts. Again, several elemental attacks were thrown at the bird which didn´t seem to take any damage at all.

"GET OFF THE LIFT RIGHT NOW, TATSUMI!!!", Naoto snapped at Kanji.

"Wha'?", Kanji asked, confused, but the Shadow was already throwing fire balls at the rope that was holding the lift in the air. "Fuckin´ hell!", Kanji yelled and jumped off the lift just in time. The lift fell down the hole Shadow Yukiko´s attacks with the weights had created and shattered.

"Kukuku~! You fools!", Shadow Yukiko giggled while the attacks thrown at it didn´t hurt her at all.

"That´s not gonna work!", Souji shouted in aggravation, crunching his teeth, and suddenly spotted the statue of the bad prince, also standing on a lift right in front of the sealed door, that was ten times huger than the statue of the good prince. He threw a glance at Shadow Yukiko whose barrier against ice attacks had already disappeared again. "Teddie! Chie! Bufu! Now!"

Both Persona users threw ice attacks at the Shadow without hesitating, the Shadow laughing its ass off while dodging.

"Argh! It´s just too fast!", Chie snarled and wanted to stop the bombardment already.

"Don´t stop!", Souji snapped at her. "Lure her upwards!"

Chie and Teddie did as they were told, and Shadow Yukiko dodged their attacks time and time again, flying higher and higher.

"Kukuku~! What exactly are you trying to do?!", the Shadow chuckled, but then looked above it in confusion when it felt something behind it: Teddie and Chie had thrown ice attacks at her until she had maneuvered herself right under the lift that carried the bad prince. "NOOOO!!!", it shouted in pure horror and tried to get away. But Izanagi had already managed to get to the rope supporting the lift and cut it. The lift crashed against Shadow Yukiko who fell down the hole together with the lift, buried beneath it.

"Is... she finally whack?", Rise asked, unsure.

"No, I´m afraid not.", Naoto said and looked at Yukiko who was still unconscious.

"Rise! The portal! Hurry!", Souji demanded.

"Y-yeah, of course!", Rise stammered and created the portal, now having the time to do so since Shadow Yukiko couldn´t attack them anymore.

"You won´t get awaaaaaaay!!", was the last thing they could her Shadow Yukiko screech before the portal had transported them out of the dungeon.


	38. Chapter 38: Break a thing,mend your luck

_**Chapter 38: Break a thing, mend your luck**_

"Is that seat taken?"

Tohru Adachi´s facial expression changed to a fake friendly smile. _`A new victim...´_, he thought happily.

Yes, Tohru Adachi had found many new `friends´ during his time in prison which he´d gathered around himself. They all had fallen for his friendliness and his slightly idiotic naivete. Adachi laughed inwardly if he though about how this dumb fassade of him - his second self -, which he´d created back then in Inaba to deceive everyone living there, was now helping him to survive in prison. His `friends´ who only got to see that warm-hearted good side always helped him against the bad guys - or to be more exact, the people Adachi just couldn´t stand and wanted to get out of the way. Only for his enemies did he let the true Tohru Adachi out to play for.

Some may call him schizophrenic, but Adachi knew better: He had both his sides under perfect control and could switch from one to the other in mere seconds. He was like a puppeteer who was manipulating the people around him like puppets.

_`Hilarious...´_, Adachi thought, remembering how hard it had been for him to act like a total doofus the first time he had introduced himself to Ryotaro Dojima at Inaba´s police department. He´d nearly choked the detective to death after having to obey the man´s every command for a day, like a servant.

_`But acting like that is not a problem anymore... I´ll get them all wrapped around my finger...´_, the former police officer thought and looked up to the person who wanted to sit next to him.

"Of course that seat´s no--", he started, but stopped, like he got paralyzed.

"Thank you very much.", the newcomer - Taro Namatame - said, smiled and sat down next to Adachi who was staring at him with huge eyes. "It´s been a long time, Adachi-san."

"Y-you... But... you´re dea--"

"I´m sure we´ll be best friends from now on."

* * *

Dojima sighed for what he thought was the hundredth time while going over the curricula vitae of the potential nannies for Nanako once again. He would be transferred to Tokyo very soon to help the police there catch the murderer targeting all those children, but he just couldn´t find the right nanny.

Every single one of those curricula vitae seemed to be almost perfect, but the reality was far from perfect: The candidates consisted of old women that acted like they were some colonel at the military or crazy eco-loving chicks that were trying to make him and Nanako worship the `Holy Cabbage´, like some female version of Adachi.

Dojima sighed again. Well, there actually was a person who had behaved around them perfectly and whom Nanako had also seemed to really like. But... Dojima sighed anew while remembering all those rumors about that woman: Sex-crazy, perverted, addicted to alcohol, not reliable enough... that list could be continued endlessly. Yet still, Noriko Kashiwagi just hadn´t seem to be that way when she´d arrived to her interview with Dojima and Nanako. He hadn´t smelled any alcohol on her, she hadn´t tried to make a single move on Dojima, and to top it all, Nanako had started calling her `Noriko´ at the end of the interview.

There had been only one incident during that interview, and that had been that damn snowball´s - Dojima still hadn´t found a way to get rid of that thing - fault. It had probably knocked over something in Nanako´s room, and Kashiwagi had jump up in horror and jumped in his lap, the contents of her cup of coffee landing in Dojima´s face.

"Ooops!", Kashiwagi had shouted and had hurriedly returned to her seat again. "What was that awful noise?"

"Uh... That was... the... the cat!", Dojima had lied.

"Oooh! You have a cat? How cute!", Kashiwagi had squealed. "I´m sure she´s a really sweet pussy, right?"

"Uh, excuse me?"

"A-a really cute _kittie_, right?"

"Oh, uh, yeah.", Dojima had answered.

"May I see it?"

"Um, she belongs to the neighbors, not us!"

"Oh..."

If Dojima looked back to that conversation, something seemed strange to him, actually...

_`Nonsense!´_, he finally thought and shook his head. _`Me thinking like that is just because of all those rumors about Kashiwagi-san! Today´s youth merely has no respect for the elders! No, no! Kashiwagi-san is the perfect nanny for my Nanako!´_

Naive Dojima... If only he knew what he´d done to poor Nanako with that decision...

* * *

Darkness was surrounding Yukiko who was lying on her bed in her room at the Amagi inn, staring at the ceiling.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah", she could still hear the screams of pain from Chie and the others after they´d been hit by an especially strong spell from Izanami. She could still hear the screams of the Shadows they´d killed... could still smell all that blood... Again and again... every night she was haunted by all those memories, even months after their adventures inside the TV world had ended...

Shaking, the black-haired girl stood up and went to her commode to look at herself in the mirror.

"What... happened to me...", she choked out and stared at those dark rings around her eyes. She began sobbing and lay down her head on the commode.

She was a wreck, having reached the end of her powers...

"Just look at yourself, you loser!", she could hear someone cackle and looked up at her reflection in surprise. Its eyes were glowing yellow now.

"N-no..."

"Yuki-chan, what´s wrong? Was that all a bit too much for you, princess~?", her dark counterpart asked. "So much violence, blood and dirt just isn´t becoming of royal blood like us, isn´t it? Kukuku~!"

"Please... stop it...", Yukiko cried and hid her face beneath her hands.

"Just take a look how much we´ve given to our friends!", her dark counterpart continued. "We´ve conquered our or fears for them, even though we just couldn´t take all that violence, all that chaos! And now that we need them the most, they´re not there for us! They´d only have to take one good look at us and they would notice that something just isn´t right with us!"

"Stop..."

"And especially that Souji! He´s far, far away from here now! He could leave this shithole! I bet he doesn´t have any worries or fears at all! And you?! What about you?! Is that supposed to be fair?!"

"Silence!"

"... Yukiko?", her mother´s slightly worried voice could be heard from the hallway. "Is everything all right?"

"Um... Yes, I´m okay!", Yukiko hurriedly said. "The neighbor´s dog is just barking so loudly. And I have to take that important test tomorrow!"

"Oh... okay.", her mother said and went back to her room.

"Hypocrite...", Yukiko´s Shadow hissed. "She doesn´t care about you at all! She´s just pretending!"

"N-no, you´re wrong... She... She loves me.", Yukiko protested weakly.

"She loves the talented girl who will take over her inn one day, yes!", her Shadow corrected her. "But she doesn´t love the insecure, poor little girl that´s hidden beneath all that perfection!"

Yukiko plugged her ears.

"There´s an easy way to end all of this, Yuki-chan...", her Shadow continued. "Just look at this beautiful mirror, little one."

Yukiko stared at the mirror, like in trance.

"Isn´t this quite a beautiful mirror, Yuki-chan?", her Shadow said, smiling.

Yukiko nodded, her face blank.

"Do you know the saying `Break a thing, mend your luck´?"

The black-haired girl nodded again.

"Well, you can think of that saying in a different way as well, you know."

A questioning look.

"One simple punch, and the mirror will fall to pieces, little one. One of those shards could end all of your pain, Yuki-chan. One scratch at the right place of your body, and you´ll have eternal peace...

"I..."

"Come on... Pretty please? We both just want it all to end, don´t we?"

"N..."

"No? Oh, come on! Don´t be a party pooper, Yuki-chan!"

"I... I..."

"DO IT ALREADY, YOU STUPID BRAT!!"

"NO!!!!!", Yukiko yelled, ripped the mirror off of the wall and threw it out of the window where it was smashed to thousand pieces.

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!", Yukiko screamed, shot out of her bed and fell to the floor, right in front of Chie´s fight.

"Yukiko!", Chie said, worried, and kneeled down to her best friend. "What´s wrong?!"

"I-I...", Yukiko stammered and looked around in the room: She was in the lounge she and Chie shared at Tanaba University. "A... nightmare...?"

"Hmm... Yep, seems like it.", Chie said, staring at her. "Yukiko, you´re eyes..."

"Hmm?"

"You´ve got some really deep dark rings under them.", Chie explained. Yukiko´s eyes widened, near tears. "Normally, i´d say `Get back to your bed and get some sleep´, but with that nightmare you just had..."

"Could... Could you lie down together me?", Yukiko pleaded with her friend like a little child that wanted to sleep in her mother´s bed.

"Of course.", the brunette said, heaved her friend back to her bed and lied next to her.

"Thanks...", Yukiko mumbled, silent tears running down her face.

"Hey, that´s what friends are for.", Chie said while Yukiko slowly fell asleep again, this time protected by her friend. "Please, Yukiko... Please get better soon..."

* * *

Author´s note: Writer´s block... Ugh!

Well, we´re about 10 % through the story now, maybe even less, for those of you who want to know.

Also, I still keep receiving mails about the story´s pairings, so I´ll just write them here. If you don´t want to know, just stop reading now!

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!

- failed Kou x Chie

- failed Yosuke x Ikas

- Yosuke x Chie

- failed Souji x Naoto

- Kanji x Naoto

- Akihiko x Mitsuru

- Wishful (on Kashiwagi´s side) Dojima x Kashiwagi


	39. Chapter 39: Her pain

_**Chapter 39: Her pain**_

It was sunday evening, and four days had passed since their last visit of Sideu´s dungeon.

Once again Souji and the old lady Hisano sat inside her daughter´s house and together looked after her grandson Shinji. The silver-haired man noticed that Hisano had gotten more and more scatterbrained, and he wondered if there had been some fight between her and her daughter, but didn´t want to ask about it for now.

There really didn´t happen anything special during his job as a baby sitter this time - except that Shinji had decided that Souji´s lap would be the perfect toilette for him -, though Souji got slightly startled when the neighbour of the Tajibayaki´s rang the door asked for some sugar. Did he just imagine things or had he met that man somewhere before? And had that man just looked a bit horrified when seeing Souji?

"... Thank you.", the man said after having received some sugar from Hisano, and hurriedly returned to his house.

"Oh my god...", Souji groaned the next moment, eyes huge.

"Souji-chan?", Hisano asked, slightly puzzled.

"O-oh, nothing. I just remembered that I still have a huge essay to write.", Souji lied.

"Well, then I guess you´d better start with it once you get back, my dear.", Hisano said and winked at him.

Souji only nodded. _`Wasn´t he that "woman" that I´d met when I had left the train and went to the university for the first time?!´_, he thought, shuddering. _`That "woman" with all those hairs on her legs who said "she wouldn´t bite... hard" if I went with her...´_ So he had been right: That woman was really a man, neighbour of the Tajibayaki´s. _`I wonder if I should tell Hisano-san...?´_, he thought, and then: _`New Social Link, anyone? ... I sincerely hope not...´_

* * *

Teddie was sitting alone in the lounge at Yosuke´s laptop and was playing _RuneScape_, like always around this time of day. Sensei was at that Tattlebayaki´s place now and Yosuke had hurriedly snatched that big bag from under his bed, shortly after Sensei had left, and had left university as well.

Chuckling like mad, the blond Shadow was chasing after a unicorn in the online game that didn´t stand a chance against his level 103 charakter while chatting with his online friend _BoyWithBlueHair_:

_- BoyWithBlueHair: So you really enter TV´s and fight against monster?! Unbelievable!_

_- Sensei´sTeddie: Yap, but I´m really telling you the truth, I bear!_

_- Sensei´sTeddie: Ooops, I meant `I swear´! ^^;_

His chat partner seemed to be hesitating, but then...

_- BoyWithBlueHair: I believe you, my friend._

_- Sensei´sTeddie: Really? That makes me beary happy to hear!_

Teddie´s online character jumped in the air to express the Shadow´s happiness.

_- BoyWithBlueHair: But tell me this, Sensei´sTeddie: Don´t you feel at least a little bit sad about all of that?_

_- Sensei´sTeddie: What do you mean?_

_- BoyWithBlueHair: No matter how many people you save, in the end nobody will ever really know what you did. Your heroic deeds will never really be known to anyone._

_- Sensei´sTeddie: That´s right  
- Sensei´sTeddie: But it just feels good to help those people, you know? I don´t want them to be knocked out forever._

_- BoyWithBlueHair: Ahahah! You really have an interesting way of describing death, my furry friend!_

_- Sensei´sTeddie: You think so?_

_- BoyWithBlueHair: I know so._

_- Sensei´sTeddie: Hmm..._

_- BoyWithBlueHair: Yet... That sadness I was talking about... Doesn´t it also make you sad that no matter how much you search for answers in that foggy world, you´ll never find them? No matter what you do, you´ll never get an answer to your questions! It´s futile to search! So... why do you?_

No answer.

_- BoyWithBlueHair: ... Sensei´sTeddie?_

_- Sensei´sTeddie: Oh, look! There´s a NPC woman over there! Mwahahahahahaha! Here I cum!!_

* * *

Night had already fallen over the campus when Souji knocked at the door to Chie and Yukiko´s lounge, the others right behind him. The door opened after a few seconds, Chie having it opened. She sighed deeply when she saw them, but let them in nevertheless. The friends wandered through the entrance and entered the bedroom in which Yukiko sat on her bed, blankets wrapped around her body, a cup of cocoa in her hands. She looked up from floor at which she had stared for hours when she noticed her friends.

"Hello, Yukiko...", Souji began and smiled at her. The black-haired woman tried to return his look, but she only managed a grimace that didn´t even remotely resemble a smile.

"... How´re you feeling?", Rise finally asked after what felt like eternity.

"Can´t you see how she feels just by looking at her!?", Kou snarled at her. Rise glared at them, but both of them were silenced by an admonishing look from Naoto.

"I´m... feeling better than I did a few days ago...", Yukiko suddenly answered, voice hoarse, and put the cup on her nightstand with shaking hands. "You want to enter the TV world again tonight, right?" The others nodded. "Please don´t worry about me. I can still d--"

"We will go without you, Amagi-senpai.", Naoto interrupted her.

"... Excuse me?"

"You would only be a hindrance to us in your current condition."

"Naoto!", Souji reprimanded her.

Naoto sighed and looked to the side: "I am sorry if I sound mean and cruel to you, but I am merely trying to state the facts.", the young detective explained. "If Amagi-senpai were to enter the TV world, not only would she endanger herself, but also all of us." She looked at Yukiko. "Do you want that."

"... No.", Yukiko answered. "But I´m sure I can control my Shadow this time."

"How sure are you?", Naoto asked, ignoring the others´ glares.

"I..."

Naoto sighed again. "Amagi-senpai, I don´t want to play the `Bad Guy´ here. I am merely concerned about everyone´s safety. If you aren´t 100 per cent sure that you are able to control your Shadow, then you visiting the TV would be far too risky. Do you understand?"

Yukiko nodded. "... I understand."

Uncomfortable silence...

"Yukiko... could you... Could you tell us what your Shadow meant when it said `Just tell them what you had to go through after your little _`adventure´_ had ended a few years ago´?", Souji finally asked.

It was Yukiko´s turn to sigh now. "... Do you all still remember the day when Souji-kun had left Inaba?", she started. The others nodded, still remembering that day clearly. "It all began that day.", the black-haired woman continued. "After we´d all gone home that day, I could, for the first time ever, let myself think about everything that had happened: All those battles, all that blood, all that fear, all that panic..." He body started shaking. "I... I had really hated it all so much. I hate violence, and yet still... I had still managed to get over it since I wanted to help you, and to find out who hated me so much that they would want to push me into this harrowing world. I guess I had just managed to block out all of that violence until that night."

"But back then at Club Escapade when you had been `drunk´ you had been talking happily about `beating the crap outta Shadows´.", Yosuke reminded her.

"Part of me had enjoyed it, yes.", Yukiko admitted. "We were some kind of heroes that were exploring an unknown world and were defeating our enemies with some cool magic tricks. Who wouldn´t like that!" Yosuke looked to the side, feeling slightly reminded of his Shadow´s words. "But in the long run, it had all led to me becoming this wreck, had dragged me so deep into the abyss... I started to get nightmares every single night... But it all got worse when Chie´s dog died a few weeks later..."

"What do you mean?", Naoto asked.

"... Chie and I were walking her dog when we´d seen a cat on the other side of the street.", Yukiko told them. "The dog had gone completely berserk when he´d seen the cat and had started to pull on his leash like crazy in order to run after the cat. He was hit by a car and died..."

"I had to let go of the leash, ´cause he´d pulled too hard on it.", Chie continued for her friend. "If I hadn´t let go, he would have dragged me with him to the street!"

"... Do you get it?", Yukiko asked the others. "It just needs something insignificant like that - no battles against blood-thirsty Shadow - to die. A life can end so quickly. And we... we´d gone through much more dangerous things than that... When I had realized that I had completely collapsed. I... I had blamed myself... and I had blamed you all... especially you, Souji-kun, as our leader who didn´t notice how I really felt..."

"Yukiko...", Souji started sadly, but Yukiko shook her head.

"I know that thinking like that is just selfish...", she said. "I know that I should have told you... I know that my Shadow will appear again the moment I enter that other world again... But still..." She looked to the ground, tears trickling down her face. "Yet I still feel so... so helpless... left alone... betrayed..."

"Yukiko...", Souji started again.

"P... Please go now.", Yukiko said. "Enter the other world and save Sideu while I... I... I just need some time for myself now..."

The others nodded and hesitantly left the room until only Chie was left.

"Yukiko...", the brunette tried to talk to her.

"Go now...", Yukiko managed to choke out.

Chie only stared at her for a while, then she, too, left the lounge, leaving Yukiko alone... completely alone...

* * *

Author´s note: Writer´s block still active... *sigh* I think the problem is that the Sideu Arc is the one I personally like the least... I just want to get to the next arc where things will be starting to heat up! ^.^

Oh well, get ready for the next chapter, because there will be something in it that may raise many questions for you. ;)


	40. Chapter 40: Fun with lifts

_**Chapter 40: Fun with lifts**_

Yukiko sat all alone in the lounge that she and Chie shared and stared at the TV in front of her.

What were the others doing right now? Were they fighting against Sideu´s Shadow? Was one healer enough to get through the castle?

She sighed as she put the now cold cocoa back to the nightstand once again. There was no sense in worrying like that, just sitting around like a corpse. She stared at the TV remote which she grabbed seconds later to turn on the TV, trying to distract herself.

"... are still more reports coming in about the murders of little children throughout Japan.", the newscaster spoke. "The police is absolutely flooded with phone calls of dozens of people who want to have seen someone or something suspicious or worried and upset parents who have lost their trust in this land. What--"

Yukiko turned off the TV with a heavy sigh. Talk about distracting herself...

She looked at the little magazine full of riddles that Chie had bought her for distraction. It contained various riddles, starting with simple questions like _`What´s the name of the capital of England´_ or weird codes like _`Storracgnitaesitibbareht´_ - _`The rabbit is eating carrots´_spoken backwards - or really difficult ones that Yukiko didn´t understand at all.

Sure, it had been a welcome distraction in the beginning, but it didn´t help her anymore.

She sighed another time while taking out a pen and a piece of paper and wrote down five names on it: Yosufu Bagman, Akihiko Sanada, Ikas Ito, Fuuka Yamagishi and Tohru Adachi. Those were the five suspects they currently had, even though most of them seemed more than unlikely. They could rule out Patty Sideu by now since she had been abducted and was now a victim herself. If she couldn´t help the others actively inside the TV world, Yukiko wanted to at least try helping this way, by ruling out more of the suspects.

Her gaze wandered to the name _`Yosufu Bagman´_first. He was their prime suspect at the moment because of his behaviour and his attitude towards his students. It seemed like the man couldn´t stand anyone except Yosuke.

"Hmm...", Yukiko thought about it. _`But if he´s really the culprit, shouldn´t he actually hate Yosuke-kun? Everytime we meet Bagman-sensei he´s looking at us as if he knows exactly what we´re doing. This is... strange... Or does he not know who belongs to our group and who doesn´t exactly...?´_ She wrote her findings next to the name.

The next name on her list was _`Akihiko Sanada´_. Sanada-san seemed to absolutely obsessed to solve this case, just like Naoto. Whenever Yukiko had seen students arguing in the hallways Sanada-san had been there seconds later already to stop it, as if he was hoping to find the culprit among those fighting students... But maybe...

"Maybe that´s just an act of him... Maybe he wants everyone to believe that he despises violence to distract everyone...", Yukiko mumbled. No, they couldn´t rule out Sanada-san just yet.

The next name was _`Ikas Ito´_. The shy girl would definitely have a good motive to comit crimes: Hatred against those students that were always bullying her. It would be natural for her to want to get revenge. Sideu whom she had splashed with a glass of water would definitely be one of the students she would want to get rid of. But Kou...

"Hmm... Did Kou-kun ever do something bad to her?", Yukiko wondered aloud, thought about it for a moment and then shook her head. No, he´d always been kind to her, like the rest of the group (except Chie who often threw glares at Ikas when she came near Yosuke). No, regarding the case of Kou they just couldn´t find anything that would make Ika-- Yukiko stopped all of her thoughts in an instant. "_`Storracgnitaesitibbareht´_...", she mumbled. "_`Storracgnitaesitibbareht´_.... _`The rabbit is eating carrots´_! ... Ikas... Sa..." Her eyes widened. "That´s why Yosuke´s so interested in her!", she groaned. "Oh no...! So simple and yet...!" She wrote one word next to Ikas´ name: _`Saki´_. "Ikas... `Saki´ spoken backwards...", Yukiko whispered, still overwhelmed by what she had found out.

If this meant what she thought it meant, then the group had to re-think everything once again...

* * *

When Souji and his friends entered Sideu´s dungeon again through the portal that Rise had created, they all got a big surprise: The room full of lifts was totally fine again, the room behind them containing the light puzzle as well.

"Once the princess had been captured by the monster - of which we´d talked about at the beginning of our story -, it wasn´t long before both princes hurried to the tower.", Sideu´s Shadow suddenly spoke with its usual cold voice, the friends who were on the lookout for an eventual appearance of Shadow Yukiko startled to death. "Both wanted to save the poor damsel in distress. Although, the bad prince, in his hatred against the good prince, challenged him to a duel so that he may never reach the princess. Both f them met before the princess, and the duel began!" Shadow Sideu´s speech ended abruptly.

"Hmm...", Naoto looked up to the confusing construct of lifts that led to dozens of different directions. "So the princes met and had a duel..." She looked from the lift of the bad prince that stood in front of the sealed door to the lift of the good prince that stood downstairs near the group.

"Shadow Yuki-chan really isn´t here anymore, is she?", Teddie suddenly asked, interrupting Naoto´s thoughts in the process.

"No.", Kou answered. "She shouldn´t be able to materialize here without Yukiko-san´s presence. But you should know that the best of all of us, Teddie."

"I... just wanted to make sure...", Teddie said hesitantly and scratched his head. _`Am I really supposed to know that? Hmm...´_

"I guess we have to transport the lift of the good prince upstairs to the lift of the bad prince.", Naoto said. "But since the good prince´s lift doesn´t have a switch that can activate it... Hmm..."

"Well, there are several switches on the way upstairs.", Yosuke said and pointed upwards where several switches could be seen throughout the room.

"You´re right...", Souji said and looked to the other lifts that all had a switch with which they could be activated. "Are you thinking the same thing I do?"

"What? We have to split up, and everyone takes one of the lifts?", Chie asked.

"You got the idea, Satonaka-senpai.", Naoto agreed. "Each of the lifts lead to another point from which you could activate the switches for the good prince´s lift."

"Why don´t we take one lift after another?", Rise suggested. "Personally, I don´t really want to split up."

"But what if two switches have ta be pushed at once?", Kanji asked. Naoto looked at him with huge eyes. "What?!"

"You... can think, Tatsumi?!", Naoto asked, impressed.

"What the hell?!"

"Izanagi!", Souji suddenly shouted, his Persona appearing and flying towards one of the switches. An inivsible barrier blocked the Persona´s path. "Damn... That would´ve made it easier."

"Okay. So how are we going to split up our group?", Yosuke asked and looked at Souji.

"Hmm... Yosuke and Chie will be a gr--", Souji started.

"WHAT!?", Yosuke, Chie and Kou yelled in unison.

"Uh, I meant Yosuke and I are going to te--"

"SENPAI!!", Rise squeaked, tears in her eyes, and clung to him. "I´m too scared to go without you!"

"But I wanna go with Sensei, too!", Teddie pouted.

"Dude! That sounded so GAY!", Yosuke butted in.

"Ya got sumthin´ against gay people!?", Kanji said threateningly.

"You´re fealing addressed?", Yosuke countered.

"What the fuck!?"

"But you and your bromance with Souji, Brosuke...", Chie mumbled.

"FATONAKA!!"

"Senpai´s going with me!", Rise snarled and pulled from Souji´s left side.

"No! With me!", Teddie protested and pulled from the other side.

"Guys...", Souji started, both his arms slowly starting to hurt.

"Failsuke! I´m not fat!", Chie yelled.

"Yeah! She´s not fat!", Kou agreed angrily.

"W-what the hell do you want to do with that folding chair, Kanji?!", Yosuke screeched when Kanji started advancing towards him.

"Do ya still remember the broom, Senpai?", Kanji only said.

"U-uh..."

"With me!", Rise screamed.

"No, with me!", Teddie yelled.

"G-guys...", Souji tried again.

"With m--"

"SILENCE!!", Naoto finally shouted, having reached the end of her patience. The others went silence in an instant and looked at her in fear. "Team number one: Seta-senpai and Hanamura-senpai! Team number two: Kujikawa and Teddie! Team number three: Satonaka-senpai and Ichijo-senpai! Team number four: Get moving, Kanji!"

"Oooh, she called you by your first name, Kanji!", Rise giggled. "Seems like L-O-V-E is in the air!"

"KUJIKAWA! GET MOVING RIGHT THIS INSTANT!", Naoto yelled at her.

"Aye, aye, miss!", Rise said all military-like, hurriedly grabbed Teddie and jumped into one of the lifts before Naoto could strangle her.

What followed was another test of Naoto´s patience - lifts that nearly crashed into other lifts; Kou who was totally out of it since he was too busy analyzing Chie´s body; Kanji who was reduced to stammering since he was so close to Naoto now; Yosuke who was bitching about Chie and going on and on about Ikas´ finer points the entire team, nearly driving Souji insane; Rise who was giggling about everything and everybody, driving Naoto up the wall; Teddie who was constantly trying to grope Rise and thus getting one slap in the face after another; Shadows that appeared again and again and tried to destroy their lifts.

After they´d managed to finally get the good prince´s lift upwards to the bad prince´s lift and the seal had disappeared, Naoto contemplated about checking herself into a nuthouse.

"I really need a vacation after all of this is other...", the young detective only mumbled while advancing towards the next floor together with the rest of the group.

* * *

Author´s note: It´s been over a month and I still haven´t written another chapter of my German version of this story. -.- I´ve always made it so that the English version would be about 5 to 6 chapters behind the German version so that I, should I ever suffer from writer´s block, I could at least translate more chapters. But now this version has almost caught up to the German version which is currently at chapter 42. Oh goody...


	41. Chapter 41: Tour guide Adachi

_**Chapter 41: Tour guide Adachi**_

There was some short and hectic knocking at the office door of the director of Inaba´s prison during the evening.

"You may enter!", the director said and looked up from his laptop.

The door was opened and Tohru Adachi, his hands tied together behind his back, entered, followed by a dozen jailers. The director looked at them questioningly.

"Adachi-san has just now tried to force a meeting with you, sir, threatening to cut his wrists if we don´t do as he says.", one of the jailers reported. "As you surely agree we had to tie his hands together in order to avoid that!"

"And then grant his wish by bringing him to my office?", the director asked, one eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"O-oh, um..."

"It´s alright, it´s alright.", the director sighed and shook his head. "Please free his hands and leave. I´ll call for someone once I´m finished with Adachi-san."

"Y-yes, sir..."

The jailers did as ordered and then left the room.

"Well, my dear Adachi-san, whatever did I do to deserve the honour of a visit?", the director asked while Adachi sat down. "That´s not very gentlemanlike, I must say! One usually has to go through all of those nice little application forms if he wants to have a word with me, just like everyone else."

"Spare the excuses!", Adachi growled from his chair. "You know exactly why I´m here!"

"Oh?"

"Why is _he_ here!?", Adachi yelled. "What´s he doing here!?"

"What are you talking about, if I may ask, my dear?", the director calmly asked.

"Taro Namatame, damnit! He should be dead!"

"Ah, that´s what you´re talking about!", the director said and nodded. "Yes, that was a surprise for me as well, I have to admit. I also have my qualms about having the both of you in the same prison, but if that is what the higher-ups want, then I have to do as they say."

"Cut the crap!", Adachi snarled. "You think I´m some kinda dumbass!? You can fool all those idiots - including Dojima -, but not me!" He took a deep breath. "I can still smell it, you know, that slight smell of decay." He stared directly at the directors eyes that had now taken on a yellow gleam. "What have you done to your original, Shadow?!"

"... His body parts are deposited here in my working desk, cut into neat little pieces.", the director´s Shadow whispered after a few seconds of hesitation, grinning maliciously.

"How imaginative...", Adachi said and leaned over the table. "So let´s get to the point: What do you - and yes, I mean that as plural - want from me?"

"You´ve taken an awful lot of trips into the other world, Adachi-san.", the Shadow said.

"And?"

"If I remember correctly from the memories of my dead original you had once written a letter to a certain someone that you would abide by this world´s rules from now on. Am I correct?"

"Tch! That doesn´t concern you one damn bit!", Adachi said, enraged. "And I´m keeping my promise: My body still remains in this world while entering the TV world."

"TV world... So that´s how you humans call it..."

"Huh?"

"Ignorance can be bliss, it seems.", the Shadow sighed. "You humans have absolutely _no_ idea what this world truely is and why it reflects the hearts of humans."

"Oh, that´s what you´re talking about!", Adachi cackled. "Don´t throw me together with the rest of that society of bitches and whores, Shadow! I´m informed about that world. Very well, indeed!"

"How nice.", the Shadow said. "Well then, I will tell you why exactly we - yes, plural - are allowing those little excursion of yours into the other worlds."

"Well, I´m listening.", Adachi said.

"Have you ever heard of the door that stands at the end of the other world and is keeping the Queen of the Night at bay?", the Shadow asked him.

"... No. What´s that supposed to be?", Adachi asked.

"As I have already told you, it keeps the Queen of the Night at bay.", the Shadow answered. "If she is freed, it means the end of this pathetic human world."

"Cool."

"Not cool, my dear. Not cool at all.", the Shadow disagreed. "I thought you had submitted to this world´s rules, Adachi-san. One of this world´s rules is to fight against something like that and to cling to your worthless life." Adachi only grumbled. "At any rate, this door will soon be opened by some miserable fools."

"Really?", Adachi asked, excited.

"Yes, really. And this means, as already explained, the end of everything since Nyx, the Queen of the Night, is immortal.", the Shadow explained. "As soon as she´s freed, there is no chance of winning against her. And that´s why we need you, my dear."

"How so?"

"I assume you know the group around Souji Seta?"

Adachi only nodded and grumbled again.

"Of course you do. You´ve been nearly beaten to death by them a few years ago!", the Shadow laughed gloatingly and dodged Adachi´s fist. "But enough with the jokes. We want you to assist the the Investigation Group around Souji Seta, join their group as they say in videos games."

"What?! No way in hell!"

"Oooh, so you don´t want to keep your promise? You want the door to be opened?", the Shadow asked. "Because if you don´t help them, that is exactly what is going to happen."

"... What exactly am I supposed to do.", Adachi asked.

"Oh, just play a little bit tour guide through the other world, my dear. It´s become more and foggy in there after all.", the Shadow answered. "I suppose you know what I mean?"

"Yes."

"So I can count on your help?"

"... Yes.", Adachi said after a bit of hesitation.

"Good boy."

"... Why is Namatame her?", Adachi finally asked.

"Oh, I really didn´t decide to put him in here.", the director´s Shadow answered. "It seems our adversaries don´t want you to help thos children."

"Adversaries? You mean those guys that want to open the door?", Adachi asked.

"Yes and now.", the Shadow answered. "There are different factions in this battle you know, my dear. I´m with one of those factions - the one that doesn´t wish to open the door -, but there are several other factions that are all after something else, and those factions are working together. This `working together´ of them is what will ultimately open the door."

"So one of those factions sent Namatame to kill me.", Adachi said.

"That is correct.", the Shadow said. "Please do your best and try to stay alive as long as possible, alright my dear?"

"Tch!" Annoyed, Adachi stood up and went to the door. "... One final question: Who created you?"

"Hm?"

"There must have been somebody who helped you escaping the TV world, Shadow.

"Oh, that´s what you´re talking about!", the Shadow said. "Well, it was a very nice old man, currently working at an university in Japan."

* * *

"But....... prince... a critical hit........... and.... only laughed..... killed........... prince... The princess... was... in truth, the... `... prince´ was really....... the princess............. bad... Und..... the prince....... in order to....... challenged............ duel..... The... `.... prince´.... `... prince´.... in truth was actually....... was really more human than.........."

Those were the choppy words the investigation group got to hear from Sideu´s Shadow while climbing up another spiral staircase, beating the crap out of disgustingly cute Shadows that got in their way.

"Okaaaaay...", Kanji only said.

"Statics seem to be really bad around here.", Chie said, shrugging. Naoto only stared at her. "... What?!"

"This is the TV world, Satonaka-senpai. I don´t really think that something like statics exists in this world.", Naoto said. "There is either something wrong with Sideu´s Shadow or this is part of yet another puzzle..."

They reached the top of the stairs and entered a room that was completely bare except of those many pillars. There was a round door - one side black, the other white, making it look like the Yin Yang symbol - on the other side, sealed like always.

"The truly good prince was hit by a fatal strike of the truly bad prince.", Shadow Sideu continued, her voice completely clear now. "But bevor the truly bad prince could complete his evil deed, the princess collapsed over the corpse of the truly good prince, her heart filled with despair... despair that aroused the truly bad prince´s sexual desire even more... And that night... the pure and innocent princess´ life changed forever... The End."

"Urgh...", was Naoto´s only comment.

"What?", Yosuke asked.

"`Despair that arouside the truly bad prince´s sexual even more´...", Souji repeated, depressed. "He raped the princess..."

"And if we think of Sideu as the princess, then...", Naoto started, but stopped.

"Oh..." Yosuke looked to the ground. No matter what kind of person Sideu was, she didn´t deserve something like this...

"At any rate, we can think about that later.", Naoto said and looked around in the room. "I don´t see anything that looks like a prince or a princess."

"Maybe it´s hidden behind one of those pillars.", Teddie suggested.

They looked around the room.

"Nope, nothing here...", Kou finally sighed and looked at Naoto who was studying the door made of two semi circles. "What´s wrong, Naoto?"

"... Don´t you think that those semi circles look like a full moon if watched as a whole?", Naoto asked the others.

"Hmm..." Rise stared at them from different points in the room. "Well, now it looks like a full moon... But if you look at it from here it looks like seme-- uh, yes a full moon!"

"... Why do you asked?", Yosuke wanted to know, staring at Rise in disbelief.

"Well, when Sideu´s Shadow appeared on the TV she said that she would greet her guests only `when the moon has reached its full glory´.", Naoto answered. "`The moon in its full glory´ means `full moon´. So could this mean that this door will only open when there is a full moon?" She looked at the others, not really sure of herself. "What do you think, Seta-senpai?"

"Hmm... I don´t really know.", Souji answered. "... What if the fog sets in before the next full moon? We´re really in trouble then." He looked around the room. "Are there really no clues?"

"We could look around again, but we´ve searched more than thoroughly, Souji.", Kou said. "There´s nothing except those pillars and that door."

"The pillars could be some kind of clue, but I have already analyzed their position.", Naoto said. "They´re placed randomly throughout the room. If they were placed to form a full moon when looked at as a whole, then that could mean something. But like this..."

Souji looked at the door once again, then sighed. "Okay... Rise, please make a new portal so that we can go back."

"Huh?... Oh, okay.", Rise said and did as she was told.

"We should come back sometimes to make sure nothing changed in here, though.", Souji said. "And we have to keep close watch over the news so that we´re warned about possible fog."

The other nodded and entered the portal Rise had created.

Like always, Souji felt as if some mysterious power had grabbed him by his navel and was dragging him with it. But this time the feeling vanished much earlier than it normally did, before he suddenly stopped completely as if he had crashed against an invisible wall, and fell to the ground.

"Wh-what...?", he stammered and looked around: Everything around him was completely white; he had become stuck in the portal´s limbo. "Oh fuck..."

"There is no need to worry.", a woman´s voice suddenly said behind him.

Startled, Souji whirled around and came face to face with Aigis.

"Aigis?! Wh-what happened?!", Souji asked her.

"Your soul followed my call, simple as that.", Aigis explained.

"What´s... that supposed to mean?", Souji asked and instinctly grabbed his sword.

"As I have already said, there is no need to worry.", Aigis said calmly. I didn´t summon you to cause you any harm, but to speak to you without my master being present, Souji-san."

"So Igor doesn´t know about this?"

"No...", Aigis said and looked to the side. "The residents of the Velvet Room aren´t allowed to actively meddle into the affairs of their guests. Yet..." But she stopped, still looking to the side.

"Yet, what?", Souji wanted to know. There it was again: That look Aigis once had had. A look full of pain, so unlike her usual monotone one.

"I... don´t want... his efforts... to have been meaningless in the end...", Aigis said, voice choked.

"His efforts? Whose efforts?", Souji continued to asked.

"I... I...", Aigis stopped again. "The residents of the... Velvet Room aren´t allowed to give... any clues to their guests... It costs me a... great deal of power to... fight against that rule..."

"Aigis..."

"Just think about what... what that voice inside your head... is always telling you after... you´ve formed a Social... Link... or after one of your Social Links got stronger... Souji-san... `It brings thee... closer to the truth... behind truths´... `The truth... behind truths´...", Aigis said, her voice shaking from struggling against the rule.

"Truth behind truths...", Souji repeated, torn between wanting to do something against Aigis´ pain and to solve that riddle. "Something that hides behind the truth... But what could that..." He looked at Aigis. "There´s more going on than just those murders, right Aigis? It´s all about something much bigger?"

"Yes...", Aigis groaned. "But... there are more meanings for the truth behind truths... It means that people are... not always how they seem at first... Please... just think about it... some more..." And then she did something that completely surprised Souji: She smiled for the first time. "Thank you... Souji-san... You really are... just like him..."

"Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou hast established a new bond...", the voice in Souji´s head began to speak, the Arcana `Empress´ appearing before his eyes. "It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana..." A warmth started to spread throughout Souji´s body and announced the establishment of the new Social Link.

"Don´t forget... Souji-san... No matter how I... seem to you as a person... I am... on your side...", Aigis managed to choke out before Souji felt like someone had grabbed him by his navel again and dragged him away, out of the TV world.

* * *

Author´s note: So the group has finally reached the last floor of the dungeon `Princess' Dream Castle´. ^^


	42. Chapter 42

_**Chapter 42: The secret double life of Ikas Ito?**_

Naoto was walking back and forth in Rise´s and her lounge while Rise sat on the ground crying, the other gathered around her, faces serious.

"S-senpai...", Rise bawled. "I-I killed Senpai..."

"Damnit, where the hell´s that guy?!", Kanji grumbled. "He was right behind us!"

"Seeeenpaiiiiii!", Rise continued to cry, making everyone cringe because of her voice´s volume.

"Uh... Yeah, what´s wrong?", they suddenly heard someone saying from the TV. Seconds later Souji shot out of it and landed on the ground.

"Senpai~!", Rise squealed and jumped at him like a dog at its owner.

"Where were you, Partner?!", Yosuke asked and whacked him softly on the head.

"Hey, ouch!", Souji grumbled. "Well, seems I took the wrong way."

"`Took the wrong way´?! How in the world is it possible to take the wrong way through a portal?!", Kou asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well... as you can see, it´s possible.", Souji continued to lie. To tell his friends what exactly had happened would mean also telling them about the Velvet Room and Social Links. Some things were better left unknown.

Someone was suddenly knocking on the entrance door which Naoto opened.

"... Amagi-senpai?", Naoto asked, startled when she noticed Yukiko at the door, and let her in.

"I thought I heard Rise-chan´s voice so that could only mean that you were back."

"Yeah, there´s no way you wouldn´t have heard her bawling.", Chie sighed and rolled her eyes when she looked at Rise who was still rubbing herself against Souji.

Naoto watched the teenie idol for a while disapprovingly before turning to Yukiko. "What is the matter, Amagi-senpai?"

"I... have something to tell you all...", Yukiko said, clearly uncomfortable.

* * *

Ten minutes later there was absolute silence in the room.

Naoto stared at the piece of paper on which Yukiko had written down her thoughts on the suspects while the others stared at each other.

"... So, what do you think?", Yukiko finally asked the others hesitantly and threw a quick glance at Yosuke whose body seemed to be shaking.

"That is... a daring theory...", Naoto started. "But the name... _`Ikas´_... _`Saki´_ spoken backwards... If she is really the culprit than she has got a lot of nerve to use that name." She sighed. "I can´t believe I didn´t notice this obvious play of words..."

"Because it´s _too_obvious.", Souji stated.

"... Yes, I think that is the case...", Naoto agreed.

"... But Ikas wears glasses.", Yosuke suddenly said.

"Yosuke...", Chie mumbled and sadly looked at the music-loving man.

"And... And... Yes! She´s stuttering all the time! She´s shy, and--"

"You can buy fake glasses everywhere, Hanamura-senpai.", Naoto interrupted him. "She can fake that stuttering, just like everything else Ito may want us to believe."

"You´re talking like it´s already proven that she´s the culprit.", Yosuke snarled.

"She seems to be the culprit.", Naoto calmy defended herself.

"She doesn´t look like Saki at all!", Yosuke yelled.

"Yosuke...", Souji started, but Yosuke was looking away from him, glaring at the young detective who sighed deeply.

"Hanamura-senpai, I would like you to use your head for a moment, not your emotions and feelings for her.", she said, still speaking calmly.

"She´s right, dude!", Kou agreed. "We all know how you feel about Ikas." Yosuke´s face went beet-red. "But if you let your feelings for her get the best of you now, you´ll maybe just turn your eyes away from the truth."

"I...", Yosuke started, but then nodded.

"Just to answer your statement about Ikas appearance: The colour of her hair is the same as Konishi´s. Her voice sounds similar.", Naoto piped up again.

"... But if she´s only acting and faking everything all the time, she shouldn´t have any reason to go after those bullying her. I mean she´s gotta expect that everyone around her will treat her the way they do.", Chie suddenly said. The others looked at her with huge eyes. "Wh-what?! Did I say something intelligent again without noticing?!"

"Chie-senpai, sometimes you´re really amazing!", Kanji said.

"Sometimes!?", Chie and Kou yelled in unison.

"... What Satonaka-senpai´s saying makes sense.", Naoto agreed, lost in thought. "If all of her actions so far were just fake, then what could her motive possibly be? If she is acting like an outsider she has to expect people around her acting like that. It just weakens her reason for throwing people´s souls into TV´s to get revenge.

"But are all of her actions really just fake?", Souji contemplated. "She could really be shy."

"... No, Saki-senpai was never really shy.", Yosuke disagreed, staring at the table. "... If she´s really Saki-senpai, that is..." He looked at the others pleadingly. "But that just can´t be! I´ve seen Saki-senpai dying inside the TV world with my own eyes! Partner, Teddie and I´ve heard her Shadow´s words in the TV world!"

Naoto´s eyes suddenly went huge, and she looked at Rise. "Kujikawa, does Ito feel normal?!"

"Uh, huh?!", the teenie idol looked at her, confused.

"Does Ito feel like a normal person or not?", Naoto tried again.

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Hmm..."

"You don´t think... that her Shadow...", Yukiko started.

"That her Shadow escaped the TV world after killing Konishi? Yes, that was what I have been thinking just now.", Naoto said. "Although... Ichijo-senpai and Sideu´s Shadow could only leave the TV world after their originals had destroyed the TV screens. But Teddie can leave the other world on his own." She sighed. "Ugh! It´s just getting more and more confusing!"

"So everyone´s thinking that Ikas´s behind it all now and not that asshole Bagman?", Kanji suddenly asked. "'cuz if so that means that old fart´s on our side, righ'?" The other stared at him in confusion. "Bagman hates Ikas.", Kanji said, shrugging.

"That´s right! He´s always trying to humiliate her!", Rise agreed. "So Bagman-sensei´s really on our side?!"

"If he knows about Shadows and everything else, then yes...", Naoto said and looked at the commode where she had hidden Mr. Bagman´s cane.

"We won´t get anything done like that!", Yosuke butted in again. "Okay, I´ll admit that Ikas has gotten slightly more suspicious. But suspecting her just because of her name?! You can´t be serious, guys!"

"Igor...", Souji suddenly mumbled.

"Hmm?", Teddie looked at him, puzzled.

"Oh, nothing...", Souji lied as he remembered the long-nosed man´s words. _`"The danger is very near, death right behind you.", Igor had said right after the Death Arcana had been revealed...´_, he remembered. _`Did he mean... that the one who´s Arcana - who´s Social Link - is Death is after me?! Did he really mean it literally?! But Aigis just told me that residents of the Velvet Room are forbidden to interfere with their guest´s destiny.´_

"It´s gone!", he suddenly heard Naoto yelling and looked up. While he had been contemplating over Igor´s words, Naoto had gone over to the commode where she had hidden Mr. Bagman´s cane. The cane wasn´t there anymore.

"Damn that old geezer!", Kanji grumbled. The others looked at him. "Who else coulda taken it?!"

"Ito perhaps.", Naoto answered.

"Oh, so now we just blame her for everything that´s happening, huh?!", Yosuke snapped. "So if I catch a cold, it´s also her fault!? How very funny!"

"If Bagman-sensei really is on our side, then it would be clever of Ito to steal something that is important to him.", Naoto explained. "And please remember the day that--" She stopped. "Oh..."

"Oh?", Chie repeated and looked at her questioningly.

"`And please remember the night when Sideu´s soul had been pushed into the TV. Ito had seen the cane lying on my bed back then.´, was what I wanted to say.", Naoto explained. "But now that I think about it... Ito had been near Sideu´s room that night. How very interesting..."

"Okay, I´ve had enough of this!", Yosuke snapped, pushed his chair to the side rather forcefully so that it crashed down, and stormed towards the door.

"Yosuke!", Souji shouted after him.

"No, I´m not going to stay here listening to you all blaming Ikas for everything just because it sound convenient!", Yosuke yelled and stormed outside.

Naoto sighed. "I think we should continue or talk once everyone has gotten some sleep and Hanamura-senpai has calmed down.", the young detective said. "Furthermore, I already have a quite simple idea that could help us ascertain our suspicions about Ito."

"Oh?", Rise looked at her curiously.

"It is a rather under-handed idea, but it might work.", Naoto only said while letting the others out and then closed the door.

"Sensei, do you also think that Ipas really is that Kasi?", Teddie asked Souji while returning to their lounge.

"`Ikas´ and `Saki´, Teddie.", Souji corrected him. "But honestly? I don´t really know."

"I hope Yosuke´s alright.", Teddie said sadly.

"Yeah, I hope so, too...", Souji said, remembering what Yosuke had had to go through when Saki Konishi had died years ago. "I hope so, too Teddie..."

* * *

Roof of Tanaba University...

Mr. Bagman was looking up at the sky which was devoid of any stars this night, cane in one hand and his eyes rather glassy

"So you´ve got your weapon back, old man?", someone suddenly asked behind him.

He turned around and recognized the person that had just now entered the roof. "Oh, it´s you...", he said. "As you can see, yes. It wasn´t hidden very well, I must say. I would have expected more from that detective brat." He smiled happily. "So you´re chances of killing me have sunken rather low again, my dear. You should have acted while you still had the chance."

"No worries. I haven´t been idle.", the othe person said and fired a Megido attack at the old professor. An apparitional figure appeared before Mr. Bagman which seemed to protect the old professor and simply blocked the attack before disappearing again. "But first, I have to figure out how to destroy your shield, old man."

"Oh I see. You are a very diligent person...", Bagman praised the person.

"If someone has to be worried, it´s me.", the person said and sat beside Mr. Bagman. "If I were to let my guard down for even one second, you would kill me without blinking an eye."

"That is correct.", Mr. Bagman chuckled and looked up at the sky once again. "It´s going to be a full moon soon..."

"Yes...", the other person agreed and grinned. "This time I will succeed."

"Oh? Did you forget already that I´ve still got some chessmen left?", Mr. Bagman said and raised an eyebrow. "My knight, for example. He will help them understand the final puzzle in Sideu´s castle."

"Not if one of my chessmen can get him first.", the person countered.

"Ah yes, good old Taro Namatame.", Mr. Bagman agreed. "But I guess I´ll have to disappoint you. My knight is very clever, you know. He managed to play hide-and-seek with Inaba´s entire population for nearly a year."

"And then he got beaten by the investigation group.", the person snorted. "Oh yes! They will definitely believe someone like him! Hah!"

"You seem to be really sure of yourself.", Mr. Bagman said. "Why not kill the investigation team yourself then?"

"I... That´s..."

But Mr. Bagman only laughed. "I understand.", he said. "That is the advantage I have over you. You´ve become too much like them. And this will be the end of you eventually."

"Grrr...", the person hissed and stood up. "Only a few minutes of talk with you, and I already want to blow up this entire university!"

"My, what fervor!", Mr. Bagman chuckled. The person looked at him again.

"Is there something you still wish to talk about?", Mr. Bagman asked.

"... I´ll just say it one last time: Don´t get in my way.", the person said.

"But I´m not. My knight is going to do all the work, after all."

"I´m not talking about that! You´re always sending visions of the person whose soul I´m going to throw in next to that stupid bear!"

"Ohohoho, so that´s what you´re talking about!", Mr. Bagman laughed. "Well, you´ve interfered with that splendidly last time by sending him a vision of the wrong person last time! I´m sure you´ll be able to think of something for the next time, too!... That is, of course, if there´s ever going to be a next time..."

"Whatever! Just stay outta my way, old man!", the person snarled and jumped down from the roof.

"I´d really like to do that, my dear, but Miki just won´t let me...", Mr. Bagman sighed and looked up to the moon again that would reach its full beauty soon.

* * *

Author´s note: This is the last chapter I had written before my writer´s block. I have already written another one in German, so here´s hoping that I´ll be able to write at my usual pace soon. I guess filling some prompts at BadBadBathhouse helped.


	43. Chapter 43: Ikas under attack

_**Chapter 43: Ikas under attack**_

When Souji woke up the next morning Yosuke had already left the room which was a bit unusual for the music-loving man since he - despite his claims that he´d gotten used to waken up early thanks to his shifts at Junes - normally liked to oversleep.

"Guess he´s still angry with us...", Souji yawned and looked at the calender next to him. It had been two months now since their arrival at Tanaba University. _`Already two months... Strange how time flies...´_

"Hrm... Patty honey...", Teddie mumbled from his sleeping birth.

"Hmm... Seems like he´s dreaming about Sideu again...", Souji guessed, stood up and started changing. He didn´t feel like making himself breakfast this morning so he´d go and eat something at the Cafeteria.

* * *

When the silver-haired man sat down at the usual table minutes later, the mood really wasn´t that inviting. The only persons sitting and eating at the table as well were Naoto and Ikas. The young detective was throwing one death glare after another at the glasses wearing student who was staring at her cereals in fear, as if Naoto would kill her if she even so much as dared to take a look at anything else for even one second.

"G-good morning, Souji-sa-san...", Ikas mumbled when Souji sat down.

"... Morning, Ikas.", Souji greeted her, forcing himself to smile. Taking a good look at the young woman, he just couldn´t imagine that she´d be able to harm other people. But he´d also thought the same thing about Adachi back then, though because of other reasons, of course.

"W-well, I´ll be o-on my w-way then...", Ikas stammered, stood up, tripped over her own feed and fell face-first into her nearly untouched cereals. The other students in the Cafeteria laughed gloatingly while Ikas cleaned her now beet-red face and stormed out of the Cafeteria, tripping again and falling to the ground.

"That was your fault, you know.", Souji said to Naoto who was calmly reading the daily newspapers.

"If we want to expose her, there is simply no other way.", Naoto replied. "We have to get her to her limits."

"Hmm...", Souji decided not to say anything to that and instead began eating his eggs with ham. "You know...", he began anew, but then stopped. _`"You know", what?´_, he thought while studying Naoto´s rather cool attitude towards him. Only now did he notice that this was his first time alone with Naoto since he´d arrived at Tanaba University, nobody else of the investigation group present. "... How´s it going as a detective?", he finally asked. Naoto threw a short glance at him, one eyebrow raised, and continued to read.

"Good...", was her only answer.

_`Nice conversation...´_, Souji thought. He´d already noticed it earlier, but Naoto had been rather rude towards them all ever since their arrival at the university, often very offending with her comments. Sure, she´d been that way in Inaba as well sometimes because of her slight antisocial behaviour and awkwardness when it came to simple conversations, but she normally only got this extreme when she was absorbed by a case, not 24 hours a day like she now seemed to be. _`I don´t like this at all... She´s drifting away from the rest of the team more and more... not to mention that I´ve yet to re-establish the Fortune Social Link...´_

He tried again. "If you e--"

But he stopped when Naoto suddenly looked up from the newspapers in confusion. "Dojima-san?!"

"What?!", Souji said, baffled, and whirled around. And really: Ryotaro Dojima had just now entered the Cafeteria, advancing towards their table, eyes on Naoto.

"Uncle Dojima...! But how...?!", Souji stammered, his now huge eyes following Dojima.

"Morning, Shirogane!", Dojima greeted the young detective, ignoring Souji.

"... Good morning, Dojima-san.", Naoto said, staring at the the middle-aged man questioningly. "May I ask what you are doing here at Tanaba University?"

"I´ve been relocated.", Dojima simply answered.

"Relocated?! And what about Nanako-chan?!", Souji asked.

No answer, not even so much as a glance towards Souji.

"A-and what about Nanako-chan?", Naoto asked after a few moments of silence.

"A nanny´s looking after her.", Dojima answered her.

"Oh...", Souji and Naoto said in unison.

"Shirogane, I´ve been looking for a police officer called Sanada-san for over half an hour now, but can´t find him anywhere.", Dojima said. "I´m lucky I even managed to find you. If you know that man, could help me find him?"

"But of course.", Naoto said, nodding, folded her newspapers and stood up.

"Uncle Dojima...", Souji started anew.

"Oh, Souji!", Dojima suddenly said as if he´d only now noticed the silver-haired man and patted his shoulder. "How´s it going with the Social Links, my boy!"

Souji froze while staring at the condescending face of his uncle. _`How does he know about...?!´_He swallowed and looked at Naoto who didn´t seem to be confused by her uncle´s sentence at all. _`Oh shit! She knows about Social Links as well?!´_ He looked after two who were leaving the Cafeteria now without another comment. _`That... explains her behaviour towards me...´_

* * *

It was a wonderful morning in Inaba, so much different from those foggy mornings years ago. As always Mrs. Hanamura stood up at five o'clock in the morning, kissing her still sleeping husband on his temple and went downstairs to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Now that her son, Yosuke Hanamura, and Teddie were at Tanaba University, preparing breakfast didn´t take as much time as it usually did, but still, she wished that the two were back already. It had gotten far too quiet around here without them, she decided.

Once breakfast was prepared, she went back to the bedroom and knocked on the door; the signal for Mr. Hanamura that breakfast was ready. A yawn of him was his affirmation that he´d heard her while she was already on her way down again to prepare a cup of black coffee for her husband.

After washing the dishes and Mr. Hanamura leaving the house after a kiss, Mrs. Hanamura started cleaning the house, humming happily, like every every morning. After finishing that task, she threw the dirty laundry into the washing machine and finally started putting up make-up. With slightly sleepy brown eyes she stared at the mirror while brushing her - also brown - hair.

Yes, this morning everything proceeded as it always had, just like during their first day in Inaba. Although...

A heavy sigh could be heard from Mrs. Hanamura as she was about to do something that would very much break through her usual morning ritual: She took the letter she had had started writing when Yosuke and Teddie had left for the university that day and which was now finally finished out of its hiding place - her commode - and lay it on the bed on the side where her husband usually slept. After that she went down to the living-room, opening the cabinet where her husband had stored away all of those alcoholic drinks - he normally liked to drink a glass full of some alcohol before he went to sleep - and took a gun out of it which was well-hidden behind a bottle of Gin Tonic. Slowly, she turned around and went towards the other side of the room until she stood before the flat-screen TV which they´d purchased about a week ago. She took a deep breath and looked around the room one final time - especially the pictures of her sons (Teddie was like a son to her) on the cupboard - before she extended one of her hands towards the TV screen. Her hand thrust through the TV screen as if it were made of water, followed by another hand, her head and finally the rest of her body.

* * *

Professor Yamagishi was known among the students for her gentle and far too nice nature which said students often exploited without feeling ashamed of themselves. Thus, it came a bit as a surprise when the usually compliant professor ordered Ikas Ito to several hours of detention since she hadn´t handed in her assignment again, like usual.

"B-but...", the shy woman started hesitantly, body shaking while stared down to the ground.

"I am sorry, Ito-san, but there´s simply no other way.", professor Yamagishi tried explaining with her gentle voice. "You failed your exams once before and had to restart your first semester because of that. You have to do something if you ever want to finish university."

"I-I understand...", Ikas mumbled, head still lowered. Professor Yamagishi threw a last compassionate glance at her before returning to her podium to start the lecture.

"... Everything okay?", Souji who sat next to her asked.

"Y-es... J-just a totally n-norm-normal day for me.", Ikas answered and forced herself to smile at Souji, tears in her eyes. A balled-up piece of paper hit her on her head a few seconds later. "Aah!", she shouted, startled, and hurriedly stared at the ground again when professor Yamagishi looked at her in confusion.

_`N00B!!!´_was written on that piece of paper which Souji had unfolded. Annoyed, he looked around for the culprit, but every single one of the students was looking rather uninterested at professor Yamagishi. He looked at Ikas again whose hands were now balled up to shaking fists.

* * *

"Senpaaaaaaiiiii~!", was the first thing Souji heard someone squeaking when he left professor Yamagishi´s seminar, and the next moment Rise was clinging to him, like usual. "Senpai, please carry me to the Cafeteria! Professor Yamamoto was sooo mean to me today!"

"Kujikawa, could you please stop acting like a little child all the time?", Naoto who stood directly behind them together with Yosuke sighed. Souji looked at her in an insecure manner, remembering that she seemed to know about Social Links. But who the hell had told her and Dojima about that.

"Is Ito still inside the classroom?", Naoto suddenly asked. But Souji didn´t need to answer since Ikas entered the corridor just that moment as if on command. Naoto threw a glance at Yosuke who looked rather pained.

"Hey, Saki! Everything okay?", the music-loving man shouted at Ikas who continued to walk towards the Cafeteria. "Saki! Didn´t you hear me?! Hey Saki!" No reaction by Ikas whatsoever. "You see?! I told you she wouldn´t react at all!"

"That doesn´t mean anything.", Naoto retorted.

"Huh?", Souji looked at them, confused.

"You´ve just now witnessed the execution of Naoto´s simple, but slightly underhanded plan which she´d talked about yesterday.", Rise explained and rolled her eyes.

"Normally people turned around when they´re called by their name. And I thought that if Hanamura-senpai is the one who calls her, she would turn around for sure when called.", Naoto defended herself.

"And she didn´t react at all when I adressed her as `Saki´! So stop that stupid idea and quit suspecting her!", Yosuke snarled and started walking towards the Cafeteria together with the other three.

"Like I just said, that doesn´t mean anything. She could just be a good actress. I still have another idea.", Naoto stubbornly said and fastened her steps.

"Hey, not so fast, Missy!", Rise called after her, letting herself really be carried around by Souji now, and gasped in horror - just like Souji and Yosuke did - when Naoto reached Ikas and made her trip up so that she fell to the ground.

"Oh dear! I really have to watch where I´m going!", Naoto said, trying to sound as fake as possible, and looked at Ikas gloatingly who was rubbing her now sore behind.

"I-it´s alright...", Ikas stammered and tried to grab the hand Naoto had extended towards her. But Naoto took a few steps backwards that Ikas only grabbed thin air and fell to the ground again.

"Oh my! Look how clumsy I am!", Naoto giggled and continued to prance towards the Cafeteria.

"Okay, she´s just gone too far!", Yosuke snarled and ran after Naoto while Souji and Rise helped up Ikas.

"Are you alright?", Rise asked her, worried.

"I... I...", Ikas spluttered, turned around and towards her lounge, crying.

"Guess that was too much for her.", Rise said and looked at Souji who didn´t look happy at all.

"Yosuke´s right: She´s gone too far this time.", he said and continued walking, followed by Rise. "And I certainly won´t allow Naoto to be the bait again! She´s obviously trying to provoke Ikas so that she´s going to try and throw her into the TV if she´s really the culprit.

"But maybe it´s just a fetish of hers.", Rise said. "I´ve heard about people who´re really turned on by being abused by bad guys or something like that."

"I don´t think Naoto´s into this kinda thing, Rise.", Souji opined.

"Oooh, you never know.", Rise retorted and nodded sagely. "Just take me as an example, Senpai: I´m neither straight nor am I bi, no! I´m Souji-sexual~!" And again she clung to Souji who just had to laugh now.

He only listened to the voice announcing that the Lovers Social Link had just been strengthened with one ear while contemplating about what to do with Naoto.

* * *

Author´s notes: Fun fact: I´ve taken a look at the first scribbles I had made when creating this fanfictions and the one thing that got changed the most is the `Final Boss´. That list goes from Nanako ("You ate my pudding, Big Bro! NOW DIE!!!") to Igor ("I will stab you with my divine nose of Justice!") or Souji´s Shadow ("Nobody loves me! Boo hoo!"). In the end I finally managed to decide who´s going to be it. ^^;

But that is NOT to say that it can´t still be Nanako, Igor or Souji´s Shadow, of course. ;)

Patcheresu: It´s good that you´re not just jumping on the bandwagon and accusing Ikas just yet just because it´s convenient. Maybe it IS her, but maybe it is not. You will see it soon, I guess.

Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: Strange... I thought I had written that chapter as carefully as possible. If you tell me what exactly you didn´t understand, maybe I can try and explain it to you.

anonymous review who sent me a mail: ........... I will NOT let Adachi rape Souji, thank you very much!

Also, I´ve finished creating the soundtrack (Yes, creating a soundtrack for a fanfiction is freakish, I know). If you want to download it, here´s the link (it has spoilers in it):

www(dot)megaupload(dot)com / ?d= KYGRSSMD (Remove the free spaces and replace "(dot)" with ".")


	44. Chapter 44: The princess on the pea

_**Chapter 44: The princess on the pea**_

A major fight is approaching in this chapter. Here´s the battle theme for it:

www(dot)youtube(dot)com /watch?v= KnPmSry0T9I&fmt =18 (remove the free spaces and replace "(dot)" with "."

* * *

Loud yelling could be heard from the cafeteria when Souji and Rise reached the corridor that let to it.

"Wow, Yosuke-senpai´s really at it!", Rise giggled and entered the cafeteria together with Souji.

"... o sick of it that you always have to act on your antisocial instincts and shove people around as you please!", they could hear Yosuke yelling at their usual table, the other students present in the room watching in amusement how the music-loving man was screaming the young detective.

"Hanamura-senpai, could you please--", Naoto started calmly while sipping at her cup of coffee.

"No, I won´t calm down! That was just too low of you back there!", Yosuke continued yelling. "You can´t just treat people like that! What if she didn´t do it, huh?!"

"Then I´ll be feeling sorry, of course.", Naoto replied.

"Oooh, _THEN _you´ll be feeling sorry, eh!?", Yosuke continued his tirade.

"Um, Yosuke-kun...", Yukiko who had been watching the argument together with the others silently now tried to interfere.

"You´re the worst, Shirogane!", Yosuke screamed, ignoring Yukiko completely. "YOU--"

"My goodness! It seems like there´s some kind of uproar in here! I didn´t even know one could scream so loud!", they could hear someone laughing from the entrance and whirled around: Mr. Bagman had entered the cafeteria this moment, smirking gloatingly while hobbling towards the group with his cane. "Well, well, Mr. Hanamura, although I appreciate you finally telling Mrs. Shirogane what she really is, I must remind you that students have to act civilized at this university."

"I... Sorry...", Yosuke mumbled while Naoto stared at Mr. Bagman´s cane.

"Wouldn´t it be far better to settle such arguments the old fashioned way, like a duel under the full moons beautiful light?", Mr. Bagman continued cheerfully.

"... Sensei?", Naoto asked, unsure.

"Hmm... I really think they should have built the cafeteria´s kitchen a little bit farther away from the dining hall.", Mr. Bagman said lost in thought, ignoring Naoto. "All that smoke that´s drifting off from the kitchen towards here is making this room rather _foggy_." Everyone except Kanji and Chie were staring at him with huge eyes. "Well, I will look over your bad behaviour this time Hanamura, since you´re normally such a good boy. But I don´t want to see something like from you ever again. Understood?"

"Y-Yes, sir.", Yosuke stammered.

"Gooood.", Mr. Bagman said, nodded and hobbled out of the cafeteria again while humming along the tune of _`Song to the Moon´_.

"... I can´t believe it.", Rise said a few moments later. "Bagman-sensei is... really on our side..."

"Huh?", Chie looked at her in confusion.

"He used the words _`full moon´_ and _`foggy´_, Chie.", Yukiko explained to her. "He was talking about Sideu´s dungeon. He meant that we should hurry."

"But the weather forcast said that it ain´t gonna get foggy soon.", Kanji said.

"The weather forcast isn´t always 100 % right, Tatsumi.", Naoto reminded him.

"We´ll go in tonight and see for ourselves.", Souji said, Naoto nodding in approval.

"But it´s still one week until the next full moon.", Kou reminded them.

"We´ll see what awaits us in there.", Souji opined and finally sat down at the table. "You´d better eat so that you´ve got enough strength for tonight."

"We´re not finished yet.", Yosuke said to Naoto in a grumpy voice which the young detective only ignored. "Tch!" Yosuke sat away from her as far as possible.

"... By the way, Naoto, what exactly is uncle Dojima doing her?", Souji suddenly asked Naoto, not really wanting to remind her of what had happened this morning.

Naoto threw a short analyzing glare at him, before answering: "As he´s already told us, he´s ben reassigned to Tokyo to help the police in the investigation of the serial killer that has been murdering little children these last few months. He´s been here today to talk to Akihiko-san who´d been in charge of the investigation until now."

"Dojima-san was here?!", Rise asked, surprised.

"Yeah. But only for a short while.", Souji answered.

"Is Nanako with him in Tokyo?", Kou asked. "That girl´s really adorable. Maybe we could visit her some time."

"No, Nanako-chan will be staying in Inaba.", Naoto answered. "Dojima-san had been thinking about taking her with him at first, but then decided against it since her friends and such are all in Inaba. He will only be staying in Tokyo until the case has been solved, after all, so he´s hired a nanny that will take care of Nanako-chan until then." Her face darkened.

"A nanny?", Kanji repeated.

"Yes. Noriko Kashiwagi..."

Souji choked on his food.

"Whoa, Senpai!", Kanji who said next to him shouted and hit Souji on his back several times repeatedly. The piece of food shot out of Souji´s mouth and landed right in Kou´s face.

"... Thanks...", Kou grumbled, disgusted, and cleaned his face with a napkin.

"Sorry, man...", Kanji apologized.

"I´m going to Inaba right this instant!", Souji yelled, his voice still choked from choking on his food, and jumped up from his chair.

"Whoa, whoa, Partner! Wait a sec! Timeout!", Yosuke said and hurriedly grabbed the silver-haired man with Kanji´s help. "You can´t just go to Inaba like that!"

"Yes, I can! I´ll be back tomorrow morning with Nanako!", Souji said and tried to break free.

"You can´t just take Nanako-chan like that, Senpai!", Kanji said. "That´s child abduction, ya know! The cops´ll be after your ass, thinking ya are the serial killer!"

"Don´t you get it?! Kashiwagi´ll make a whore out of Nanako!", Souji screamed in desperation.

Naoto who´d stood up from her chair in the meantime merely knocked him out by hitting his head with her gun. The silver-haired man lost conscious and was only held up by Yosuke and Kanji.

* * *

Professor Yamagishi was sitting in the assembly room of the professors, humming to herself and occasionally sipping at her tea while going through the assignments she had collected today from her students. As always Souji Seta´s assignment was absolutely splendid, especially his eloquent spelling style impressed the professor.

_`He will be among the greates in his future job, I´m sure.´_, the professor thought happily, and then looked up from the assignment in bewilderment. "... Akihiko?" She turned around, feeling the presence that had just now entered the room.

"Do you mean Sanada-san?", the person who had just entered the room - Mr. Bagman - asked.

"Oh, Bagman-san.", professor Yamagishi said when she noticed the old professor. "Yes. I thought you were him for a second."

"Goodness, I really must look rather young for my age if you can confuse me with that whippersnapper Sanada-san!", Mr. Bagman laughed in amusement and went to the water dispenser to get himself a glass full of water before sitting down on a chair near professor Yamagishi where he took out some documents out of his bag.

_`But I´d really thought it was Akihiko that...´_, professor Yamagishi thought, but shook her had and returned her attention to Seta´s assignment.

"You´ve surely heard about it as well, didn´t you?", Mr. Bagman suddenly asked, making professor Yamagishi look up again. "I mean all these murders of children?"

"Yes.", the young professor answered. "It´s ghastly."

"Indeed.", Mr. Bagman agreed, looking rather tired for some reason. "All those poor children. I wonder who could be able to do such awful things?!"

"Unfortunately, there are many people in this world capable of doing such things, Bagman-san.", professor Yamagishi said.

"That may be true.", Mr. Bagman sighed. "I just hope that the new detective will be doing a better job."

"Oh, so you´ve already heard about it?", Professor Yamagishi asked.

"Yes, I saw that new one together with Sanada-san and that Shirogane brat this morning, wandering through the hallways. Nasty, attention-whoring little brat, that Shirogane!", Mr. Bagman answered, leaving out the part where he´d quickly hidden himself when he´d seen Dojima. It wouldn´t look good if Dojima saw him since he´d already introduced himself as a professors at one of Inaba´s schools to him. "But that they´d had to relocate him is really strange... The murders are happening all over Japan!"

"Well, the first murders happened here in Tokyo.", professor Yamagishi reminded him. "I´m more worried about the detective´s daughter though."

"Hmm?"

"As far as I know she´s all alone at home with a stranger."

"So he didn´t bring her along?", Mr. Bagman asked, disappointment written all over his face for a few seconds which professor Yamagishi didn´t notice.

"No."

"Hmm... Well, I really hope they catch that wretch soon.", Mr. Bagman said and began rummaging in his bag. "Even though the serial killer has only targeted little children so far, we adults shouldn´t feel too save. Who know, maybe you´ll be his next victims, my dear! Just do it like me and be alert all the time!"

"... Thank you for your concern, professor.", professor Yamagishi said, discomfort evident in her voice, and continued to go over Seta´s assignment.

"My pleasure.", Mr. Bagman said and closed his bag with a sigh. "Goodness, I´ve really forgotten to bring my reading glasses along! Silly old me!" He took the documents and stood up again. "Please excuse me..." With a worried glance, professor Yamagishi looked after Mr. Bagman who, after he´d closed the door and made sure that nobody was wandering around in the corridors, disappeared into the ground. _`I did the best I could, Miki...´_, the old man thought while wandering through the university as its shadow. _`I can go back to my own plan for a while now... right?´_

* * *

When the investigation team entered the TV world this night, Souji´s head was still hurting pretty bad from the hit of Naoto´s gun. But they had been right: It wouldn´t solve anything to just storm back to Inaba and abduct his cousin. He could only hope that Kashiwagi wouldn´t succeed in transforming Nanako into a monster.

He was shaken out of his thoughts, though, when they reached the room with the all of those pillars and that round door which was open now.

"What the...?!", Rise stammered. "It´s open now! But how...?!"

"Someone´s really wreaked havoc upon this room!", Teddie said in a reprobative tone and pointed at some of the pillars that were now destroyed, the debris lying everywhere on the ground.

"You´re one to talk! You´re always wreaking havoc upon our lounge yourself!", Yosuke snarled.

"With your help, I might add.", Souji corrected him and got Yosuke´s tongue as an answer.

"No french kisses in public, Brosuke!", Chie teased.

"FATONAKA!!!"

"HEY!!!", Chie and Kou shouted.

Naoto sighed in annoyance while studying the former locations of one of the now destroyed pillars. Glistening light was pouring out of that location towards the black side of the round door. "I see. So that light had been hidden underneath the pillar.", Naoto said and looked to another destroyed pillar, another ray of light pouring out of its former location and towards the white part of the round door. "Yes, that way the full moon - the door - is really at its full beauty."

"And how the hell should we´ve been able to solve that shit?!", Kanji opined, annoyed.

"My specialty is the use of that grey matter that´s locked up in my head, not brutal force.", Naoto replied. "That is your specialty, Tatsumi."

"Tch!"

"Okay, guys, we´re going in.", Souji said and entered the long spiral stair behind the door.

"Hmm... I wonder what that´s supposed to be?", Rise asked and pointed at the drawings on the walls along the stairs that repeated itself again and again: On the left side there was a white sheep that was slowly turning into a black wolf, on the right side there was a black wolf that was slowly turning into a white sheep.

"No idea. But I sure hope it ain´t one of those stupid puzzles again.", Kanji said, reaching the end of the stairs seconds later, a giant golden door before them.

"No, I think we´ve reached the end.", Souji said. "Everyone ready?" The others nodded. "Okay, then get ready. And Teddie, you´ll stay back together with Rise since your our only healer now."

"Got it.", Teddie said and nodded, face serious.

Souji, Kanji, Yosuke and Kou fought against the huge door which slowly opened, squeaking all the while, and they finally entered a giant throne room that was covered in velvet, at its end, surrounded by dozens of faceless creatures that on the ground in awe, Sideu´s Shadow that sat on a golden throne that was formed like a pea, holding a chain in one hand that ended into a collar which the real Sideu who was sitting to her Shadow´s feet was wearing.

"Ohohohohoho! Would you look at that! Look who has dared to enter the holy halls of my castle!", Shadow Sideu laughed when she noticed the investigation group, her nose wrinkled up in a snob-like gesture. The faceless did as ordered and looked at the group while Sideu continued to stare at the ground. Her Shadow looked at her, slightly irritated. "I gave you an order, slave!" It pulled at the chain rather forcefully, forcing its original to look up as well.

"... Souji-kun...", she managed to choke out with a weak voice.

"And they all came just for me!", the Shadow giggled excitedly, fastened the chain to the throne, stood up and took several steps near the group. "My goodness, you must really worship me, if you took all of those trials upon yourselves to see me!"

"That´s what you think, bitch!", Kanji snarled.

"Silence, you worthless plebeian!", Shadow Sideu hissed and looked at Souji, Yosuke, Kou and Naoto enticingly. "Well then, my four strong and manly knights, shall we retreat into my chambers?"

The three men took a few steps back in disgust while Naoto stared at the Shadow in disbelief.

"... I´m a woman.", Naoto informed it.

"And? My lovely one, it doesn´t matter at all which sex a lover has.", Shadow Sideu giggled in amusement. "Even the old Romans had sex slaves of the opposite sex as well as of the same sex. They had broken through the barrier of this foolish way of thinking and taken what they had wanted. Just like he had..." Its eyes went rather glassy while her original started trembling. "Oh yes, he had just pounced on that foolish, naive princess and shown her the brutal truth of our society! But I assume you already know about that. After all, the fairy tale you have heard while wandering through my castle should have informed you about it more than enough." She laughed gloatingly. "Oh, the irony of it all! A fairy tale is used to tell stories with a happy ending á la `And they lived happily ever after...´. Fairy tales the naive princess had always believed in so strongly. But in the end said princess had to learn that reality isn´t so kind like all of those lies she´d read all those years, and that there is no such thing as a knight in shining armor! And it was a fairy tale - those lying products of mankind - that had been used to tell this tragic story! Hah! Fairy tales are just lies! All lies!!!"

"Oh... So that´s it...", Naoto said, now fully understanding.

"I see one of my understands what I´m saying.", Shadow Sideu giggled. "Yes, the drawings you´re unworthy eyes had been able to see just now are showing the true nature of the two princes: One of them, known as a true hero by everyone, was really a monster - a wolf disguised as a sheep - who had pounced on the naive princess in the end. It had been him who had told those cruel lies about the truly good prince so that everyone, including the princess, had thought of him as the bad prince instead."

"Those doors at the beginning of the dungeon had shown this as well.", Naoto said. "The white door that would have let us into ruin while the black door had led to the next room. White is really black, black is really white. Good is really evil, evil is really good."

"Indeed.", Shadow Sideu agreed. "But the naive princess had realized that a bit too late. And the result of that night´s evil deed is now sitting there." It looked at its original.

"What?! Sideu´s mother´s the one that been raped?!", Chie said, shocked.

"Yes.", Shadow Sideu answered. "That night when the truly evil prince forced himself on the princess, her heart was filled with malice because she had felt betrayed by everyone! And she´d let that feeling of betrayal out on that abomination that had been born months later.

"... I´m not an abomination!", Sideu managed to choke out.

"Silence, slave!", Shadow Sideu snapped at her original and took out a whip with which it hit its original.

"Stop it!", Kou shouted and wanted to jump at it.

"It´s futile.", Souji reminded him. "You can´t furt her Shadow as long as it´s in that form!"

"Grrr...", Kou grumbled, hands balled to fists.

"We have already talked about this more than enough during your visit here, slave.", Shadow Sideu spat at its original. "You are just a small, pathetic worm. Know your place, worm!" Sideu had lowered her head again as far as the chain would allow it, body trembling. "You know it to be right, but you just have to act like you´re something special since your mother - that whore! - had been lucky enough to have been born as a noble! But even she had realized that night that she´s just worthless scum! Just as worthless as you are!"

"I... I am Patty Florentine Sideu, of the noble Sideu family!", Sideu suddenly shouted, tears of despair in her eyes. "Who dare you speak to me like that!? How dare you masquerade yourself as me, you bitch!? Just you wait! You´re dead meat once my family finds out that you kidnapped me!" She angrily looked at the faceless. "You´re all dead! Yes! ALL OF YOU!!!"

Shadow Sideu only sighed. "Are you quite finished with your temper tantrum?", it asked, rather bored. "How many times do I have to tell you that nobody cares about dreck like you, slave! Don´t you remember what they called children like you that had been created through such horrible means in school? I could spell it for you if you want me to: B-A-S-T-A-R-D C-H-I-L-D!"

"Silence!", Sideu shouted, desperate. "They didn´t! You´re lying! You´re lying!!!"

"Ohohohohoho, of course they did! I´ve heard them say it loud and clear!", Shadow Sideu cackled.

"No, you didn´t! You´ve never been there!", Sideu continued to scream.

"Of course I´ve been there, because I am you after all, slave!"

"N-no...! Y..."

"Oh boy... Here we go again...", Yosuke sighed, annoyed, and took out his weapons.

"YOU´RE NOT ME!!!!!!", Sideu screeched as loud as she could.

Shadow Sideu´s face contorted into a disgusting grimace. "Oho... Ohohohohohohoho! Ahahahahahahahahahaha!", it laughed while starting to flow higher and higher! Slave! You just sentenced yourself to your death!" The pea-like throne started flying, and the faceless beings dissolved into a dark matter that seeped towards Sideu´s Shadow that was flying higher and higher. The beautiful dress made of satin it wore melted and became the Shadow´s skin.

"What is... that...?", Sideu was only able to gasp before she finally collapsed on the ground.

"I am a Shadow, the true self!", the group could her Shadow Sideu cackle while the dark substance that was surrounding her slowly disappeared again. "Drama, baby! Drama! That´s what I live for, that´s what you are going to die for! Right here, right now!" The dark matter had disappeared entirely, and underneath it appeared a grotesque-looking pink fairy, a wand in one hand, its skin made of satin, like the dress it worn seconds ago, her backside now connected with the pea-like throne, its face pulsating, her wings made of paperboard.

"Uargh!", Chie made a disgusted noise.

"The Shadow´s Arcana is Moon! It doesn´t have a weak point, but it blocks Garu and Zio spells!", Rise informed them, having already summoned her Persona.

"Oh goody...", Souji, Kanji and Yosuke groaned.

"Kneel before me, fools!", Shadow Sideu screamed the next moment and shot towards the group, the pea-like throne stuck at her backside swinging around like a pendulum.

"Really no weakness, Kujikawa?!", Naoto shouted at the teenie idol which had ran towards the huge door together with Teddie.

"Unfortunately, no!", Rise answered and shook her head.

"I said, kneel before me!", the Shadow cackled and disappeared into the ground.

"What?!", Chie yelled and looked around in the room in confusion.

"Ohohohohoho!", Shadow Sideu´s amused laughter could be heard throughout the whole room.

"Where the hell is that thing?!", Kanji shouted.

"Right here, you worthless plebeian!", Shadow Sideu screamed when the red velvet carpet suddenly burst underneath Souji, bulged and threatened to swallow the silver-haired man.

"Garu!!", Yosuke yelled and managed to blow the pieces of the carpet apart so that Souji could jump to the side.

"You dare to dishevel my hair, my knight!", Shadow Sideu screeched and shout out of the carpet´s rags, the rags flowing together again and forming a once again beautiful carpet. "You´re going to pay for this!" Again, the carpet dissolved into dozens of rags that shot towards Yosuke and wriggled around his neck like a constrictor snake. Souji and Kou´s Personas managed to cut apart the rags just in time while the others shot elemental attacks at the Shadow that disintegrated into ash with a loud scream of pain, the throne falling to the ground.

"That... was over pretty fast.", Chie said, perplexed.

"Though rather dangerous.", Naoto reminded her.

"Kukukuku~!", Shadow Sideus contorted laughter could be heard from the throne that shot up in the air, a gross-looking, crinkly little baby growing out of it that slowly grew and grew until it had taken on the form of Sideu´s disgusting Fairy Shadow, the throne connected to its backside.

"What the fuck?!", Kanji shouted and attacked that creature with a Kill Rush attack. It decomposed into ash once again, only to be reborn from the throne.

"Wh-what the hell?! Is that thing immortal?!", Chie shouted and dodged several of the rags that Sideu´s Shadow threw at them.

"Death to those that dare to harm the princess, you worthless plebeians!", Shadow Sideu screeched and pointed her wand at the ceiling, dozens of Zionga attacks raining down upon the group.

"No! No! No! No! Bad Shadow! Baaad!", Teddie shouted in fear, jumping around like crazy so that the attacks to which his Persona was weak wouldn´t hit him.

Kanji and Souji´s Personas, both strong against electricity, shot forwards and rammed their weapons into the Shadow. It screamed in pain and decayed into ash again, only to be reborn once more.

"Damnit! Die already, bitch!", Yosuke shouted and fired attacks at it relentlessly. Shadow Sideu only laughed in amusement while it died and was reborn again and again.

"Lay down your weapons and surrender!", the Shadow screamed, suddenly wrapping some of the rags around Kanji´s Persona Take-Mikazuchi and made it jump at Teddie´s Persona Kintoki-Douji, like a puppeteer. "Zio!", the Shadow shouted, and Take-Mikazuchi obeyed its order, firing a Zio attack at Teddie who was able to dodge just in time.

"WHAT THE--?! Gimme back my Persona, ya fuckin´ piece o' shit!!", Kanji yelled, jumped up and managed to hit the pea-like throne that was thrown against the wall, dragging along Sideu´s Shadow that screamed in horror while Izanagi cut down the rags that had captured Kanji´s Persona.

"Megido!", Naoto shouted and tried to destroy the carpet with her attack. The carpet got blasted apart, but merely restructured itself like Sideu´s Shadow did this whole time.

"Surrender! You have no chance to win!", Shadow Sideu shouted and disappeared into the wall.

"Not again! Argh! That´s gotta be one of the most annoying fights we´ve ever had!", Rise snarled and tried to scan the walls with her Persona.

"Kneel before me, vermin!", Shadow Sideu shouted, one of the room´s pillars about to crash and hit Chie.

"Siegfried!", Kou yelled and managed to place his Persona in front of Chie so that it got hit by the pillar instead, the basketball-loving man collapsing.

"Kou?!", Chie shouted in horror and dodged another hit by the pillar.

Teddie tried to get to Kou, but the door´s knobs suddenly shot towards him and grabbed his paws so that he couldn´t move anymore.

"Hohohohoho!", Shadow Sideu giggled, shot out of the wall and aimed at Teddie with her wand, about to use another Zionga attack, but got thrown to the side by the other party members´ Personas. More attacks made her disintegrate into ash once again, the throne already working on resurrecting her.

"Not this time!", Naoto yelled and threw a Megido attack at the throne which got blown apart into thousand pieces, giving away the red and slimy heart of the Shadow which Souji destroyed with Izanagi´s help the next moment.

A loud, bloodcurdling scream could be heard throughout the room while the whole inventory dissolved like ink until the room gave away its true nature: A decrepit old dungeon, in its center the now awake Sideu and her Shadow that stared at her with a blank face.

"Finally...", Rise sighed in relief while the other stared at Sideu.

"... N-no, you´re not...", Sideu started with a shaky voice, staring at her Shadow that was now wearing rags, her face completely dirty. "That´s not me..." Dark fog began to manifest around the Shadow that started to grin gloatingly. "There is just now way that something like yo--" But she didn´t manage to say anymore since Naoto had stepped forward and slapped her. "What?! How dare you--" Another slap by Naoto.

"Would you please be so kind as to spare us with your spoiled, bitchy behaviour already!?", Naoto snapped at her angrily. "You bemoan the unfair circumstances of your birth! You bemoan how everyone is making fun of you because of that, how everyone is bullying you! And what do you do?! You´re bullying other people instead so that you can feel high and mighty again, letting them feel the same pain you always do! You´re despicable, Sideu!"

"I..."

"So do you still intend to play the spoiled brat and endanger us all once again even though you know its telling the truth?!", Naoto interrupted her.

Sideu slowly looked from Naoto to her Shadow, tears in her eyes, and finally spoke with a weak voice: "... Yes, you´re me... Starting with that fake attitude and ending with my true pathetic self..."

"I didn´t mean it like...! You´re not--", Naoto started, but Sideu´s Shadow had already nodded and dissolved into bright light that enveloped Sideu and took on an apparitional form which disappeared into the red-haired woman´s body.

"I... feel so sleepy...", Sideu sighed, her eyes feeling heavy, and collapsed on the ground, her body slowly disappearing.

"Her soul´s returning to our world.", Teddie said while healing Kou.

"Kou! What the hell!? I can take care of myself, you know!", Chie snapped at Kou and kneeled down next to him.

"Sorry...", Kou mumbled sheepishly and slowly said up again, groaning. "Heh... My body´s just reacted on its own when I saw that you´d been in danger, Chie-san... It... felt so normal to want to protect you... Weird, huh?"

"Kou..."

"I think we should get back to our world and see if Sideu´s really alright.", Souji said after a while and turned towards Rise who nodded and created a portal through which they all finally left Sideu´s Princess´ Dream Castle.

* * *

A giant golden door loomed metres high at a place full of heavy yellow fog that slowly swirled around two individuals that stood watch in front of it. Pure energy was drifting from Sideu´s dungeon towards the door for a while, before it stopped altogether again. The two stared at the door for a few moments, before both of them sighed in disappointment.

"Still not enough...", the bigger one of the two mumbled and looked at the other person that was had a rather worried look on their face. "Don´t worry. I´m sure we will succeed next time.

The other person continued to stare at the door for a while, before they sighed and forced a smile. "I hope so..."

* * *

Author´s notes: Phew, done! I think the chapters involving the abducted people´s Shadows will always be the longest ones. On A side note: ATLUS HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THEY´RE WORKING ON PERSONA 5! YAY!

CrystalAmaris: Good guess! I won´t say if you´re right or not, of course. ;)

Patcheresu: Yes, I liked Strange Journey´s soundtrack. In fact, I´m listening to its normal battle theme while I´m typing these words.

And thank you all for your reviews, everyone! =)


	45. Chapter 45: The assassin

_**Chapter 45: The assassin**_

Author´s note: Another battle music for this chapter.

Link: www(dot)youtube(dot)com /watch?v= f9F6DF912To&feature= related (replace "(dot)" with "." and delete the free spaces. It´s Team Rocket´s battle theme from Soul Silver/Heart Gold.)

* * *

It was deep in the night when Mr. Bagman wandered lazily through the park near the university. Again and again he threw disapproving glares at the prostitutes that were lingering at the street-lamps and were waiting for customers, throwing expectant looks at him. As if he would stoop so low as to get into contact with such filth! No, in the end he would only get some kind of disease from them! And... well... they were all too old for his tastes, after all...

He reached a small playground that wasn´t lit at all and thus looked rather alarming at night what with all of those playthings that threw large and scary shadows or the bushes where someone could jump out of from at any second.

_`Such a wonderful place of silence!´_, the old professor thought approvingly, relieved that he didn´t have to see those whores with their tons of make-up in their faces, and sat down on one of the benches, the wind blowing gently through his grey hair.

He looked at the jungle gym that stood rather shakily on the other side of the playground. The police of Tokyo had found the corpse of a little boy there about a month ago, the cause of his death unknown. Mr. Bagman was starting to get erect when he remembered how he had made sure that the little brat was taking his last breath that night.

"... Shut it!", he could suddenly hear someone hissing from one of the bushes. The next second his eyes had become yellow slits while he gracefully sneaked towards the source of the noise like a cat. He saw a middle-aged man that reeked of alcohol beneath the bushes who was leaning over one of those prostitutes, shutting her up with one hand, the other hand holding a gun to her head.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!", the professor huffed in disappointment and shook his head.

"Wh-what?!", the drunk man stuttered, whirled around, got entangled in his already lowered pants and fell to the ground.

"You´re doing it wrong, my dear.", Mr. Bagman calmly explained the man who hastily jumped up and pointed the gun at the old professor. "You can´t just shut her up like that! That´s a big no no! You´ll only fail to hear her wonderful, melodious screams after all!"

"Wh-what the hell...?! Get bent, you old loon!", the drunk man mumbled and pulled the gun´s trigger. An apparitional figure appeared in front the now maliciously smiling professor, blocked the bullet and threw it right back at the drunk man´s head. Mout wide opened, the now dead man fell to the ground, blood dripping everywhere while the prostitute screamed in fear.

Mr. Bagman sighed. "You people always have to solve your problems with violence, don´t you!" He looked at the prostitute that stood up on rather shaky legs now.

"Th-thank you!", she stammered and wanted to get away from here as fast as possible. "N-no cops, okay?!"

"Say... You´re rather young, my dear.", the professor said, the girl having taken only a few steps. "A little bit too young for this _job_, aren´t you?"

"I... I´m fifteen years old.", the girl hastily said and continued to walk away.

"Still so young?", Mr. Bagman said in amazement, a hungry grin appearing on his face. "Fifteen years... Just like wine that has aged long enough..."

"... Excuse me?", the girl asked, puzzled, and turned around again.

Seconds later the girl´s loud screams of pain and despair could be heard from the playground, the prostitutes in the park just ignoring it.

* * *

When Souji and the rest of the group shot out of the TV and landed in Naoto and Rise´s lounge, the entrance door stood wide open.

"Huh? But... I´m sure I´d closed it before we entered the TV.", Rise said, puzzled, walked through the lounge and looked outside. Nobody was in the hallway.

"Hmm... Nothing seems to have been stolen.", Naoto said, already looking through the lounge.

"Our underwear´s still here, too. Right?", Rise asked.

"... Huh?", Naoto threw a look at her that clearly said _`Does not compute! Please insert new information´_.

"Well, maybe it was some kind of pervert that´s after our underwar!", Rise explained. "I´m a celebrity, after all! You could sell my underwear for thousands of Yens!" Naoto looked at her in disbelief and in slight annoyance. "I´m serious!!"

"Anyway...", Naoto sighed. "It doesn´t seem that there was anything stolen, but I will still report it to Akihiko-san once we have got enough sleep. There are more important things right now, Sideu, to be precise."

"Oh, that´s right!", Souji said, having forgotten about that for a moment because of the possible break-in, and stormed towards Sideu´s lounge together with the others which was still as ugly as ever with all of thise pink walls and pink furniture, just like last time, except this time Sideu wasn´t lying on her bed, but said on the floor and was wheezing rather vehemently, as if she had tried to stand up, but had fallen to the ground when doing so.

"Patty...", Souji said when he looked at the woman that sat on the ground, so different from the normally snobby, styled from top to bottom Sideu she usually was.

"Souji-kun... everyone...", Sideu panted. "I... Well..." She looked to the side as if what she was about to say was rather uncomfortable for her. "... Thanks..." She collapsed on the ground.

"Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou hast established a new bond...", the voice in Souji´s head began to speak seconds later. "It brings the closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Moon Arcana..." The Moon Arcana appeared before Souji´s eyes and a gentle warmth spread throughout his body, announcing the establishment of the new Social Link.

"I think it´d be best if we carry her back to her bed.", Kou said with a rather reluctant facial expression and carried the red-head back to her bed with the help of Yosuke.

Souji threw a short glance at Naoto who had started staring at him the moment the new Social Link had been established. Had she noticed that he´d just found a new Social Link?

* * *

RRRRRRIIIIIIPPPPP!!!!!!!

Scared to death, Souji shot up in his bed, awakened by the loud noise, and looked around frantically in the lounge he shared together with Yosuke and Teddie. Directly next to him stood a person that was completely dressed in black, the rapier she held in one hand stuck in the pillow his head had been lying on seconds ago.

"What the...?!", Souji stuttered when the hooded figure suddenly jumped out of the window and climbed up to the roof. The silver-haired man stared at Yosuke and Teddie who were still sleeping peacefully in disbelief. "Wake up, you idiots!", Souji shouted at them.

"... ut it, Partner... ´m sleepy...", Yosuke only grumbled.

"...ar... gar... sugar... scoring with Rise-chan, Yuki-chan, Nao-chan and Patty-chan...", Teddie mumbled in his sleep while drooling.

"Arrrrgh!", Souji yelled in annoyance, grabbed the sword in his bad under his bed, jumped out of the window and climbed his way up to the roof as well.

Nobody was there.

"What?! But..." He startled when he heard a dog´s howl. He had only a few seconds to dodge, then an Agidyne attack hit the place where he had stood seconds ago. He whirled around and spotted the person in black that jumped out of one of the trees that were high enough to reach the university´s roof. There was a bloodcurdling clangor when his and the person´s weapon clashed, making the birds that had been sleeping in the trees until now fly away in panic.

"Who are you?!", Souji yelled at the person and swung his sword at the hooded figure that jump backwards again and again until they reached the roof´s end. Gracefully, the person jumped over the silver-haired man and struck out as well now, Souji blocking the attack, pushing the attacker away from him.

"Not bad...", the person said. It was a woman´s voice.

"Are you the one who´s pushing people´s souls into the TV world?!", Souji asked.

"Hmph!", the person only harrumphed, and snipped with their fingers. As quick as lightning something jumped out of one of the trees and only missed Souji by centimetres who had managed to dodge just in time. That something was a snow-white dog, wearing some strange gadget, that had now landed next to the black-hooded person. The animal howled, and seconds later a black-bluish hell hound with three heads appeared that fired an Agidyne attack at Souji.

A Persona in our world?!", Souji shouted, eyes huge, and jumped backwards. Unfortunately, he got hit by the attack´s impact and was thrown to the ground.

"Artemisia!", the other person yelled, and Souji stared in horror at a gun that was now pointed at the person´s head. He heard the gun firing while closing his eyes in disgust, already seeing all that splattering on the ground before his inner eyes, but then screamed in surprise when he was hit by a Bufudyne attack and was thrown through the air.

Wh-what?!", he looked around in confusion while jumping up from the ground and spotted the person who was completely fine, a Persona wielding a whip having a appeared above her. Another Agidyne attack was thrown at him which he dodged in time. The Persona of the female person shot towards the same moment and managed to strangle him with its whip.

"I got you!", the female shouted and shot towards him, rapier raised, while the dog´s Persona shot at him from the other side.

Everything seemed be in slow motion: From the front and from behind the two opponents where storming towards Souji while he could think only one thing again and again and again in his despair: _`I DON´T WANT TO DIE!! I DON´T WANT TO DIE!!!´_

"Die!", the female screamed and jumped at Souji.

"IZANAGI!!!!!!!!!", Souji screamed, and moments later the Persona shot out Souji who was shouting in pain, the energy that had been setting free by summoning his Persona nearly tearing him apart. The whip that had been strangling him vanished, and his now completely weak body sank to the ground.

"Simply amazing... You´re more than worthy of having the same power as him...", he could hear the hooded person say before he lost his consciousness completely, being swallowed by darkness...

* * *

Author´s note: That first scene with Bagman was a bit too much, even for me... But I still wanted you to remember that he´s done evil things, in case you may have forgotten because he´s been so _`nice´_ in the last chapter.


	46. Chapter 46: Beyond the Gate

_**Chapter 46: Beyond the Gate**_

Golden light, such wonderful warmth, a feeling that was so indescribably nice...

_`Where am I...?´_, Souji wondered and looked around at this strange place that was so full of golden glistening light.

_`Is someone there?´_, he could hear someone say the next moment, the voice of the person echoing through this seemingly endless place.

_`Who´s there?´_, Souji thought, incapable to use words.

_`Nobody...´_, a second voice behind Souji who slowly turned around said. Endless, deepest darkness was directly behind the silver-haired man. _`Nobody is here...´_, the second voice hissed.

_`And who... are you?´_, Souji asked the second voice that seemed familiar to him. Where had he heard it before?

_`I already told you, there is nobody here.´_, the second voice replied while darkness started to spread out, slowly vanquishing the golden light.

_`No... Please, don´t... You can´t...´_, the first voice that was originating from the steadily depleting golden light pleaded.

_`Please tell me who you are!´_, Souji asked the first voice.

_`I....... m....´_, the first voice could be barely heard, light nearly gone. _`... ato.....´_ The light had disappeared completely, darkness reigning this place now. Muted knocking sounds could be heard in the distance.

_`I don´t like to repeat myself: There is nobody here...´_, the second voice that originated from the darkness spoke. _`How did a fool like you even manage to reach this place?´_

_`... What do you mean?´_, Souji asked, confused, and cringed when something extremely cold grabbed him the next moment and lifted him up in the air. He tried struggle, but his body felt like it was completely paralyzed.

_`Hmm...´_, the voice mumbled, the ground underneath suddenly taking on the grotesque form of a face, the bright yellow eyes of that face staring at Souji. _`I see... a bearer of the Wild Card... a Fool...´_ The mouth of the being contorted into a snarl. _`But still... even though you two are connected with each other to a certain extent... you shouldn´t be able to manage to reach this place... So why...?´_

_`What... the hell... are you...?´_, Souji managed to think since that something that had grabbed him - probably one of the being´s hands - was starting to crush him.

_`You ask what I am? Hah... hahaha...´_, the being chuckled, its mouth wide open and showing its sharp teeth. _`I am one... but I am also all... I am the end...´_

_`The... end?´_

_`Some might even call me... the `__**Messiah**__´, foolish child of men...´_, the voice hissed, strengthening its hold on Souji even further.

_`I can´t breath...´_, Souji thought, groaning, and yelled in horror when the being suddenly let him go. Souji fell deeper and deeper, the widely opened mouth of the being directly beneath him. _`No!!!´_ The being caught him right before he would have been swallowed, mere centimetres before the mouth. _`Wha... what...?´_

_`Don´t you understand?´_, the creature chuckled. _`You´re merely a toy for me, just like everything else in this pathetic world of ants... Toys I might __**accidentally**__... break... Tee hee hee...´_

_`Just a toy...´_ Again the silver-haired screamed in fear when the being let him fall down again, just to catch him a second time and sat him down on solid ground. _`You´re... letting me go?´_

_`But of course.´_, the voice said. _`You´re an especially valuable toy that I can´t kill just yet...´_

_`Valuable?... What do you mean?´_, Souji wanted to know.

"... Partner?"

"Senpai! Senpai, please wake up!"

Souji whirled around in confusion. Those were Yosuke and Rise´s voices!

"Yo, Senpai! Open your eyes already!" Kanji´s voice...

_`It seems you´re slowly regaining consciousness...´_, the creature said when suddenly everything around Souji began to vanish...

* * *

When Souji opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the half moon above him. Groaning, he sat up and looked at his friends who gathered around him on the university´s roof. Thick fog had set in while he had been unconscious. So the old professor had been right...

"Well, finally!", Yosuke who was standing in front of Souji sighed in relief and then screeched in surprise when Rise shoved him unceremoniously to the side and jumped into Souji´s arms.

"Senpaaaaiii!", the teenie idol cried, her voice deafening.

"Senseeeeiiii!", someone cried behind Souji the next moment and clung to his back.

"How... How long have I been unconscious?", Souji asked, trying with all his might to stand up, but failing miserably due to the extra baggage.

"About two hours, I would assume.", Naoto answered. "We just managed to spot two individuals who were leaning over you unconscious body when we arrived on the roof. Unfortunately, they´d run away when they spotted us, the thick fog helping them to escape."

"So you two managed to wake up in the end, huh?", Souji said and glared at his two roommates who looked to the side guiltily.

"No, it wasn´t their fault.", Naoto objected. The other looked at the young detective in confusion. "Just let us climb down so when can talk in one of the lounges."

* * *

Five minutes later in Chie and Yukiko´s lounge...

"What did you mean just now, Naoto?", Chie finally asked after they had all sat around the table in the kitchen, and grabbed a bag full of chocolate éclairs.

"Thank you.", Naoto only said, snatched the bag from right under her nose and held it towards Teddie.

"Hey!", Chie snarled.

"Here, Teddie. A sugar bomb, just for you.", Naoto offered the blond Shadow who dug in with delight, his head crashing onto the table seconds later, snoring loudly.

"What the...?! A hypnotic?!", Kou shouted in surprise.

"Yes, and I assume they have injected that drug in every last grocery in our lounges.", Naoto replied.

"Oh, I see! That´s why the door was opened in Rise-chan and Naoto-kun´s lounge...", Yukiko remembered.

"So those assholes were snoopin´ around in our lounges while we were in the TV world!", Kanji snapped.

"But if that were the case I would have continued to sleep, even if that person attacked me with their rapier.", Souji said.

"Not if they managed to administer the antidote to you.", Naoto objected. "They would have had to use an item that you would use for sure this night, though. I guess something like your toothbrush."

"Well, then they´re really lucky they chose me.", Souji said. "I know certain people among us that like to forget to brush their teeth." He looked at Yosuke with a huge grin, the music-loving man sticking out his tongue in answer.

"So who do you think those two were?", Rise asked the others. "Do you think there´s more than one killer?"

"One of them was a dog, the other one was a woman, I think.", Souji said.

"A dog? But the other figure was rather large for a...", Naoto said, puzzled. "... Well, it _was_ rather foggy... But a dog...?"

"And they were both able to summon a Persona.", Souji added.

Silence...

"And what exactly are Personas?", someone could be heard saying from the hallways when the door to the kitchen was opened and none of than Patty Sideu entered the room, her face still pale.

"S-Sideu-san?!", Yukiko said in confusion and quickly stood up so that the red-head could sit down, fearing that she might collapse otherwise. Sideu nodded at her and sat down while Yukiko went to get herself a stool from the bedroom.

"Well...", Souji started to explain.

* * *

"Okay, that should do it.", Akihiko said, lay the first aid-kit aside and looked at a grumpy Mitsuru who had agreed - after much fighting - to let him apply a bandage to her injured right hand. "Well, looks like you won´t be doing any paper work any time soon with that hand of yours." He backed away slightly when he saw a glint of her _`Execution Time!´_look in her eyes. Koromaru nudged his nose against one of her legs and lay his head in her lap, his tail wagging happily. "You could have held back at least a little bit there, Mitsuru. There are some rather huge holes in the roof now, and Seta didn´t look all that good as well when we´d escaped from the roof."

"A creature´s _`Potential´_- if it isn´t already born with it - can only awaken when it is under great stress.", Mitsuru replied. "I had to fight as best as possible if I wanted to ascertain that he´s capable enough to do his job as the bearer of the Wild Card. And our test was a success, as you did see for yourself."

"Wild Card...", Akihiko mumbled, face transfixed.

"Akihiko, we´ve already talked about that with everyone else.", Mitsuru reprimanded him. "Even though he had now choice but to strengthen his bonds with us in order to power up his Social Links, there is absolutely no doubt that his feelings towards us had been genuine." She looked to the side in sadness. "Please remember what we´d seen back then when we´d defeated his Shadow that had been born from all of us in the Abyss of Time: That thankful smile that the real Minato we had seen for just a second had on his face... That smile had conveyed all of his feelings to us."

"I know...", Akihiko said. "But still... You can´t help but just wonder if he´d really meant all that..."

Mitsuru only sighed. "At any rate, Seta has really surprised me.", she admitted. "I had merely wanted to test him. Normally, there should have only been some kind of aura around his body to show his capability, but he´d instead summoned his Persona without the help of an Evoker. Nobody - except Aigis and Metis who´d been built that way - has ever managed to do that before!" She started petting Koromaru. "He´s really amazing, that Souji Seta..."

* * *

Darkness... Nothing but darkness, like always...

If Minato Arisato had still been able to sigh, it would have been an especialy deep one. For a glorious moment he had felt once again felt truly alive when that stranger had appeared at this place of despair. The light had been so warm and comforting. He had been able to communicate with someone once again. But now...

With a queasy feeling he concentrated his remaining being on that thing that was sitting near him and watching the goings-on on the other side.

"The threads are slowly starting to weave together more and more...", the creature chuckled. "Soon they will be complete... The old generation and the new one will meet.... And I will continue to observe my toys from here until the time has come... to throw them into the garbage can..." The last seven words had been spoken with an especially malicious voice that would have made Minato cringe if he´d still had a body.

He didn´t want to imagine just what the creature would do once it was free of its prison....

Minato felt really sorry for thinking this, but he prayed to any god that may be out there that the young man that had been here today would die together with his friends very soon...

* * *

Author´s notes: Fun fact: As already mentioned, when I first tried to create a plot around my center thoughts for this fanfiction, Mr. Bagman had only been a minor character that had been supposed to die in chapter 1, nothing more. Thus I hadn´t really given much thought about his name. I took _`Bagman´_ from the _`Bagman´_ of the fourth Harry Potter Book, and his name _`Yosufu´_ is made of _`Yosu´_ from the name _`Yosuke´_ and the _`fu´_ from the word _`fuck_´ since, well... he is a pedo, and that´s what pedos mostly like to do with little children.....

ChaosEtna99: I´m glad you like the fanfiction so far and thank your for your review! =) Regarding your questions: I´m very unsure about pairing Souji with anyone since in the game he´s practically everyone´s lover. I´d rather have him lower his pimp-drive this time and be everyone´s friend.

Rise will have some interesting change later, but I can´t talk about that yet.

I can´t answer your last question about the two individuals standing in front of the door since that would be too huge spoiler. ^^;


	47. Chapter 47: Fool Level 3

_**Chapter 47: Fool Level 3**_

With a deep sigh a certain brown-haired young woman in a rather run-down room sat down on an old, fusty bed which started squeaking under her weight. The woman named Yukari let her gaze wander through the room, the walls decorated with torn posters.

_`So I guess this is where I´ll be living for a while, huh...´_, she thought, took the remote control near her and tried to turn on the old TV. It stayed turned off. "Figures...", she sighed and threw the controls to the side. The bed creaked loudly as the brown-haired woman lay down on it and stared at the ceiling. _`I wonder how he´s doing... It was all so fast, and I couldn´t say good-bye to him at all... I´m so sorry, Soichiro...´_Her eyes were starting to feel heavier and heavier while she remembered how she had wandered around this area all alone, in search of somewhere to sta-- no, somewhere to hide. But before she had the chance to sink into the realm of dreams, someone knocked on the room´s door rather loudly. Yukari jumped up, startled, and reached for the Evoker she had with her. The knocking got louder and louder, as if the someone behind the door was trying to enter the room by force. _`Did they find me already?!´_Quietly she sneaked through the small room to the door, hesitated a moment, then quickly opened it, pointing the Evoker like a revolver at the person. Her eyes widened. "What?! You...?! B-But... you should be in Inaba!"

"Oooh, such a splendid surprise!", the person said when they recognized Yukari, shoved her aside and entered the room.

"Io!!!"

A giant tremor around the area followed next.

* * *

Teddie slowly awoke from his deep slumber when he smelled jasmine near him.

"Hrmm... Smells sooo gooood...", he purred and turned his head towards the source of the smell, Sideu to be precise, who sat next to him, her perfume smelling like jasmine.

"Aaah!", Sideu screeched when she noticed Teddie who was now centimetres away from her breasts. "Perverted teddy bear!" She slept the blond Shadow who fell to the ground.

"Nice punch!", Chie praised her, amazed that Sideu still had so much strength.

"How are you able to stand and still have so much power in your body?", Naoto asked the question everyone in the room was currently thinking.

"First, I think `Patty´ is more than enough.", Si-- , um Patty replied. "But to answer your question: Ever since I´ve been a child there have been numerous attempts to poison me, suffocate me and other such things. Thus my body is far more robust than other people´s bodies."

"What?! Poison?! Why would someone do that?!", Yosuke asked, shocked.

"My family is one of very high standing, Yosuke-kun.", Patty answered him. "It doesn´t suit such a family to have a bastard child like me. My grandparents - probably even my mother who hates me with a dying passion - have tried to get rid of me with such methods time and time again." The others stared at her with pity in their eyes. "That´s how it is among the upper class.", she continued, unperturbed. "It´s not always the Happily Ever After kind among them. The only way to protect myself against things like that was to drink a cup of tea together with a little bit of arsenic, the dosage being strengthened every few weeks to make myself resistant against it. After that I added other poisons, making my body quite resilient." She took a bite from one of the éclairs, the others shouting for her to stop. "See? My body isn´t effected at all." She was still wide awake.

Kanji whistled in amazement. Naoto glared at him.

"But let´s return to our topic...", Patty said and took another bite from the éclair. "A world that can be entered through a TV... That sounds more than just a bit weird. But..."

"But?", Rise asked.

"Well, a few years ago something weird had also happened...", Patty said, gaze becoming glassy. "Every night after midnight... it was like time had stopped entirely."

"What do you mean?", Souji wanted to know.

"I don´t understand it either.", Patty answered and sighed. "Everything had been bathed in such a strange green light... Coffins everywhere... Electronic devices becoming useless... And then always those voices that had been calling me..."

"Okaaaay...", Kanji only said.

Yosuke´s gaze went quite glassy when he listened to Patty´s words, but he hastily shook his head to awaken from his trance.

"I´ve heard about that.", Naoto said. "There had been a great uproar about something called `Dark Hour´ for some time. If I remember correctly this uproar had been caused by someone called Takaya who had been spreading this obscure culture about the Goddess Nyx from Tatsumi Port Island. Oddly enough that cult had found many followers, but it had vanished as fast as it had appeared."

"At any rate, I´ve experienced it myself.", Patty insisted and took another éclair.

"Um... Are you sure that´s such a good idea, Si-- um, Patty?", Chie asked her hesitantly.

"Hmm?", Patty looked at her in confusion. "Oh, you mean the hypnotic! No, don´t worry. As I´ve already said, my body´s immune against it. And..." She blushed a bit. "It´s been so long since I´ve allowed myself some sweets."

"But you´re really sweet yourself, Patty-chan!", Teddie purred and snuggled against her.

"Eww! Get off me, you cretin!", Patty shouted, took the plastic bottle full of Cola from the table and whacked the Shadow again and again with it until he took shelter behind Yosuke. "Perverted beast!"

"Ya´re really different today!", Kanji opened.

"Well...", Patty started, face beet-red, and sat down again. "It´s not befitting for a person of my social standing to behave in such an inappropriate manner." She sighed. "Just listen to me babble all that overblown crap! All my life I´ve been drilled to act like this! But this ends today, I swear it!" She took another éclair. "But I believe you, yes."

"Thank you.", Souji said.

"Thank you! Please, no! It´s me who has to thank you!", Patty disagreed. "Thank you for saving me!"

"Well, it´s not like we really wanted to...", Kou said, shrugging, but then hurriedly looked to the side when he noticed Naoto glaring at him.

"I can totally imagine!", Patty laughed in amusement. "I couldn´t stand myself either with all that bitchy behaviour and that disgusting pink!"

"So you don´t like pink?", Yukiko asked.

"No, I don´t like that colour at all.", Patty replied. "That is another prejudice we rich people always manage to somehow live up to. My favourite colour is dark blue, but I´ve also taken a liking to silver." She threw a meaningful glance at Souji who just coughed awkwardly and then groaned in annoyance when he noticed how Rise was throwing deathglares at Patty.

"At any rate, Sideu.", Naoto cleared her throat, prefering to use the family name like always. "After we had defeated your Shadow and you had managed to stand your ground against it, your body had been engulfed by a bright light, meaning you should now be able to summon a Persona inside the TV world."

"I... figured as much...", Patty started hesitantly.

"What Naoto´s saying,", Souji interfered hurriedly, before Naoto could continue. ", is that because of that you now have the power and the choice to assist us in that world."

"I..."

"Nobody´s forcing you, of course.", Kou added.

Patty looked the éclair in her hand, lost in thought. "... Let me try it.", she finally said, gaze determined.

"Welcome to the team, Patty-chan!", Teddie cheered and tried to grope her again, only get clobbered with the Cola bottle once again.

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", the voice inside Souji´s head began to speak, and the silver-haired felt how to Social Link was getting stronger thanks to Patty joining the group.

"I really hope your Persona knows some healing skills.", Yukiko said to Patty while Teddie sat down at the table, took some things out of his bear costume and started to work on it. "We´ve currently only one healer who can cure bigger wounds."

"Yukiko...", Chie started.

"No, no, it´s okay.", Yukiko hurriedly said and then looked up when Patty yawned. "Is the hypnotic starting to effect you now after all?"

"N-n-no.", Patty yawned. "I´m just a little tired after being held captive inside the TV world for s-- What are you doing?" She watched the blond Shadow who currently creating some pink monstrosity curiously.

"I´m making some glasses for Patty-chan.", Teddie happily explained.

"Oh...", Patty grabbed the pink glasses and threw them away. "I hate pink."

"Oh, what a finicky guest, my, my!", Teddie said. "But I´ll have to charge you extra for a new pair!" Drooling, he stared at her breasts.

"No glasses! Get to work! NOW!!!", the red-head snapped at him. "Pervert!"

Pouting, Teddie began to working on a new pair.

"Sideu, could you please tell us what had happened that evening when your soul had been thrown into the TV world?", Naoto asked Patty while they all watched Teddie working.

"O... Okay.", Patty said, not really looking forward to it. "But there´s really nothing much to say about it. I was sitting in my room all grumpy since Souji-kun hadn´t been able to come to on of my meetings because of an assignment by Bagman-sensei when it had happened. I was just about to put tons of that disgusting make-up in my face like usual when the power breakdown had happened, followed shortly by a noise like something had been hit by something very hard and a groan. I´d fallen from my chair in shock."

"The first one had been the cane hitting my head and the second had been me groaning because of the pain.", Naoto said, nodding.

"When I had sat up, the TV had suddenly been turned on, and I´d felt that someone´d entered my room.", Patty continued. "Unfortunately, I hadn´t been able to spot the person, even with the TV´s light - which I had found strange anyway since it shouldn´t have been able to do that what with the power breakdown."

"The culprit must have done it.", Souji explained.

"Right.", Patty agreed. "Anyhow, I had looked around inside the room in confusion when I had suddenly head someone laughing. My Shadow had appeared inside the TV and had started to say all those nasty things you´ve heard inside the TV world. At first I thought this was just a prank or something like that so I had concentrated on the person sneaking around in my room, but the Shadow had said nastier and nastier things until I´ve finally snapped and destroyed the TV screen." Her body was shaking slightly.

"It´s just like with Ichijo-senpai.", Naoto mumbled.

"The last think I remember is that my Shadow had stuck its hand through the TV and directly into my body.", Patty continued. "And I think I remember that I´d seen something like a curtain being blown every which way, mirrored in the bright yellow eyes of my Shadow..." The others looked up in alarm. "... What?"

"I´ve seen the exact same thing!", Kou explained her. "So I didn´t just imagine things!"

"Hmm...", Naoto looked to the side in thought. "Anything else, Sideu?"

"Unfortunately, no...", Patty answered, shaking her head.

"So no new clues.", Chie sighed in disappointment.

"I´m sorry.", Patty apologized.

"No, no! It´s not your fault!", Chie disagreed.

"So the Shadow really only seems to be able to escape the TV once the screen is destroyed.", Yosuke said.

"Yes. And the culprit has to be present or the Shadow won´t be able to appear.", Naoto said, nodding. "But the thing about the curtain..." She looked at the red-head. "There are several curtains in your room if I remember correctly. Right?"

"Yes.", she replied.

Naoto thought about it for a while, then shook her head. "It´s no use. I can´t figure out the meaning of that `curtain´ without a more detailed description."

"Maybe it´s just meant to be metaphoric.", Rise suddenly suggested. The others looked at her questioningly. "Well, there´s the saying _`It´s curtains for you!´_that´s very popular in my business. It means that someone´s career is over. Maybe that´s what the culprit wants to say: _`This is the end for you! Mwahahahaha!´_."

"That is... a very interesting theory, Kujikawa.", Naoto admitted. "Indeed, some culprits really like to leave behind so messages. But it´s nearly always those same messages that lead the police towards them. Hmm..."

"Why were you all so surprised when Souji-kun was talking about other people being able to summon Persona before my entrance? Is it really that special?", Patty asked. "I mean we all can summon a Persona after all."

"Well, from what I´ve gathered from all the things Teddie has ever told us about that topic anyone could summon a Persona as long as their will is strong enough.", Souji explained her. "What is surprising about those two that had attacked me is that they were able to summon Personas in our world. We can´t do such a thing."

"Oh, I see!", Patty said, nodding.

"Hmm..." Chie suddenly stood up, scratched her had and started to concentrate.

"... Chie?", Yukiko asked her, confused.

"HWATAAAAAAH!!!", the brunette yelled and kicked. Nothing happened, except for Kanji who had nearly been hit by her if he hadn´t dodged in time. "Nope. I can´t summon my Persona in this world."

"Thanks, Chie-senpai...", Kanji grumbled from the ground and sat down on his chair again.

"So let´s sum all the details we have so far up: Our culprit can manipulate TV´s together with part of the TV world and the Shadows in it, they can can summon Personas in our world together with someone else, they love alchemical rituals and seem to have a thing for metaphoric messages.", Naoto said. "But that´s not important right now." She looked at Souji. "Senpai, how did the battle go?"

"What do you mean? Should I give you a summary?", Souji asked.

"No. What I meant was, did you manage to injure your opponent?", Naoto asked her question anew.

"I...", Souji started and remembered how he´d managed to summon Izanagi who had shoved his two attackers away. "I think so."

"Very good!", Naoto said, jumped up and hurried to the door. "Follow me!"

"Where are we going?!", Yosuke asked while they followed her through the corridors until they had reached the door to Ikas´ lounge. "What...?"

"If she´s the culprit, then she should be injured now.", Naoto simply explained and knocked at the door. Nobody opened. "Ito-san?", Naoto said and knocked again. No answer, but the door opened this time because of the impact of Naoto´s knocks. "... She didn´t lock the door?", Naoto said in confusion and entered the lounge. "Ito-san?"

Ikas´ clothes and other stuff was lying everywhere in her room, like the last time they had been in here, but Ikas was no where to be seen, only a small trail of blood that led from the entrance door to the TV.


	48. Chapter 48: Nanako in danger

_**Chapter 48: Nanako in danger**_

It was at exactly seven o'clock in the morning when Nanako Dojima was awakened by her alarm clock. She yawned while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before she quickly rolled to the side to snuggle against the still sleeping Jack Frost.

It been two months now since Nanako had come home one day to find that the Jack Frost doll her cousin Souji had once given her had disappeared from its usual place. Instead she had found the grinning doll on her bed, happily jumping around, only to have it seconds later in her arms giggling like mad. During this months the grinning snowman had become her best friend who could even understand her without her saying anything. And he often brought her that that strange room full of toys at night where that man who always grinned and that annoyed looked woman lived. Nanako always wondered if those two were perhaps husband and wife.

Yes, Jack Frost had really brought back more happiness to the time of the day that she had to spend at home. Her father was just always too busy, even when he worked at home instead of the office. It seemed like he had lost every ounce of will to be a better father that fateful day when he had once again visited that Adachi in prison. Nanako would really like to know what had happened that day. But what she could figure out by now was that it had to do something with Big Bro because every time she had mentioned him after that one day she had only gotten rather rude answers from her father.

Nanako sighed while pressing Jack Frost a little harder against her body. "Big Bro..."

_`Such an innocent, pure nature...´_

It had been somewhat of a shock for her when her father had explained that she would have to live with a stranger from now on since he had been relocated to Tokyo. She had run into her room crying that day, locking the door, not only sad that her father had abandoned her entirely now, but that she also had to say good-bye to Jack Frost. They could hide the grinning doll while they had visitors for a few hours, but there was no way they could hide him several months while someone lived here in this house.

_`Such a radiant smile... Such smooth skin...´_

So it was really a surprise when Nanako and her father had realized by accident that they were the only two who where able to see Jack Frost. Shortly before Noriko - her nanny - could leave the house after her job interview Jack Frost had tumbled out of Nanako´s room, riding on a ball, and the nanny had only stared at the ball in confusion, wondering how in the world the ball could have managed to get out of the locked room (her father had blamed the neighbours non existent cat again).

A day later the both of them had wandered through the streets together with the snowman, but none of the pedestrians had taken any notice of Jack Frost.

_`All preparations are complete... I´ve finally done it... Miki... All that´s left now...´_

So Nanako still had Jack Frost left to comfort her while her father was away. And she also had Noriko who was actually really funny despite her strange behaviours sometimes. Though she liked to get as drunk - and that also as often - as her father, but she got even more funnier in that state. Still, there was one thing she could not do for her: Cook. The first time Noriko had prepared dinner for her, Nanako had retched after one bite and had to run towards the toilette, a thing not even, Yukiko, Chie, Rise-chan and Naoto had managed to accomplish.

Nanako giggled when she remembered the food testing sessions.

_`... is you, Nanako Dojima...´_

Nanako sat up the next moment all of a sudden and looked around in confusion. "C-cold...", she mumbled, her body shaking, the temperature having sunken rather low within seconds.

What the girl didn´t notice though were the two hands that had crept through the floor towards her and were now starting to wrap around her body, like a snake. They were ice-cold hands, as if there owner had been dead for a long time.

_`You´re mine, little one...´_

Jack Frost suddenly opened his eyes and looked around frantically.

"... Jack Frost? What´s wrong?", Nanako asked, puzzled, the snowman perceiving the hands that Nanako could not. Jack Frost shot up in the air, starting to glow like crazy, blue wings appearing at its shoulders, huge amounts of energy building in its little body, and finally--

But before the grinning snowman could do anything else, the hands had suddenly disappeared again. A loud scream could be heard throughout the room, like someone was in pain.

"Wh-what...?!", Nanako stammered, Jack Frost landing in her lap, wings gone again.

* * *

When Yosufu Bagman, lying on the ground and his body bearing multiple scratches, opened his eyes again he stared into icy golden eyes that glared down at him.

"Oh my goodness! What fervor, my dear!", the old professor chuckled and sat up.

"Megidoloan!!", the owner of those eyes shouted and another almighty attack was thrown at Mr. Bagman. An apparitional figure appeared before the professor to protect him, but got destroyed by the attack. The figure screamed in pain before disappearing while Mr. Bagman was thrown to the ground again.

"You won´t take another step further, Shadow! Hands off that girl!", the person, a woman with white-blonde hair wearing a blue dress said.

"Youßre really something, my dear...", Mr. Bagman said and stood up with slightly shaky legs. "Hmm... What was your name again...? Oh, that´s right! Margaret, isn´t it?"

The woman named Margaret nodded grimly.

"It seems you have a really important job to do here, if you would neglect your task as `bouncer´ for it, my dear."

"Megidoloan!!"

Another sphere full of energy was thrown at Mr. Bagman, another dimly figure appearing to shield him, only to be destroyed seconds later. This time the professor had reacted fast enough and jumped to the side. A scream of agony could be heard from the destroyed figure as well.

"I have to admit, you´re really giving it your all!", Mr. Bagman praised her. "Until now all of my foes were either to weak to destroy those shields or they just didn´t have the guts to try and hurt my precious barriers." His eyes began glowing yellow, a malicious grin appearing on his face while another small dimly figure appeared in front of him which had its thumb in its mouth, like a baby. "You´re really a baaad girl, you know! Those poor things have feelings as well!"

"Mama...", the figure standing in front of Mr. Bagman sobbed.

"Disgusting!", Margaret yelled and threw another almighty attack at Mr. Bagman, destroying the loudly screaming figure in the process while Mr. Bagman had enough time to dodge.

"Disgusting?", Mr. Bagman repeated und laughed. "Hah! My dear, I think you are one of the few beings who have no right to say _that_ to me! What you´re doing is just as disgusting as what I´m trying to accomplish, you know."

"It´s not the same!", Margaret objected and threw another attack at the professor who just summoned another barrier that disappeared with a loud scream seconds later.

"Tsk, tsk, bad people always try to sugarcoat their evil deeds.", Mr. Bagman sighed, raised his cane and threw several circles of fire at Margaret who dodged. "But really, we shouldn´t delude ourselves: Eventually we´ll both end up at the deepest abyss of hell."

"That may be so.", Margaret agreed. "But I will do everything in my power to prevent you from getting your hands on that girl before that happens, Shadow!"

"Oh?" Mr. Bagman looked at her questioningly, but quickly dodged another attack, sacrificing another barrier in the process. "That´s rather strange, my child. Why would you worry so much about a twelve years old child? Could it be that she is also a Fool?" Another attack followed, Mr. Bagman sacrificing another barrier. "No, that can´t be it. Even if she were, you would not interfere, not after abandoning the Velvet Room like that..." An attack from Margaret and Mr. Bagman crashed together, and the smaller Shadows that had been surrounding them quickly escaped. "Simply amazing! Such powers, even though you´re god has fallen in a deep slumber and you´re in the Shadow´s world right now!"

"I don´t need Master Philemon´s power anymore.", Margaret retorted. "I have my own source of power now, and a much stronger power as Master Philemon´s at that."

"Hmm...", Mr. Bagman looked at her, lost in thought. "Oh, I see! That´s why you´re protecting that girl!" He laughed. "Oh, how very amusing! You´ve abandoned the Velvet Room together with all of its powers, and yet you´re still worried about him! Ahahahahaha! That´s a laugh, my dear! Well, I guess a dog just can´t help but being obedient to its master, now can it?"

Several attacks followed that destroyed one barrier after another, every single one disappearing with a loud scream.

"What do you hope to accomplish?", Mr. Bagman asked patiently. "Don´t you understand it by now? I´m untouchable, you fool!"

"I know that.", Margaret said. "But I am not trying to defeat you. I just want to make you stop going after that girl for now! And the more of those disgusting shields I destroy, the longer it takes for you to try and go after her again!" Mr. Bagman raised an eyebrow. "Are you angry now, Shadow?"

"I think I am.", Mr. Bagman admitted. "But when you get older, you learn not to throw a temper tantrum, my child..." He slowly took several steps backwards. "And you are correct: The more shields you destroy, the longer I have to wait. So..." He quickly jumped backwards and wanted to disappear in the ground, but got thrown to the side when an attack by Margaret hit him.

"`Untouchable´ was it. Right, Shadow?", Margaret said. "And what was that just now!? You´ve let yourself wide open!"

"Hngh..." Mr. Bagman slowly stood up again and sighed deeply. "Very well, my dear. You asked for it. I really despise fighting, but you leave me no other choice. I will show you my true form..."

Mr. Bagman closed his eyes, black fog starting to surround his body. And while he started changing more and more, Margaret could do nothing but stare at the towering creature before here...

* * *

"Damnit!", Yosuke yelled, staring at all that blood that led from the entrance of Ikas´ lounge towards the TV, and punched the wall. He cried out in pain seconds later and stared at his now red hand.

"Yosuke...", Chie started.

"She´s all alone in there!", Yosuke continued to shout.

"Hanamura-senpai...", Naoto calmly started.

"No, I won´t calm down!", Yosuke yelled.. "I--"

"Silence!", Naoto interrupted him. "Please take a look at the lounge: The TV is totally fine, Ito´s body is nowhere in the lounge, her room had also been this messy the last time we had been in here! Her soul isn´t inside the TV world, Hanamura-senpai! Get a hold of yourself!"

"I... I...", Yosuke stammered and hectically looked around the lounge. "... You´re right." He desperately looked at the young detective. "But... what happened to her then?!"

"Oh, I assume she fled into the TV world after having been injured by Seta-senpai.", Naoto replied.

Yosuke´s look of despair turned to one of annoyance. "She´s _not_ the culprit!"

"I am most certain that she _is_the culprit.", Naoto assured him.

"No, she´s not!"

"Why do you have to insist on letting your feelings get the better of you and be blind to the facts, Hanamura-senpai?", Naoto asked him calmly.

"Why do you have to act so high and mighty and force us to go along with you!? You still remember Namatame and how we had thought he was the culprit!?", Yosuke snapped back. "Are you really in such a hurry to close this case that you would just jump at the first person who seems suspicious!?"

"I...", Naoto started, eyes suddenly huge. "How do you kn--"

"_Attention, students and professors of Tanaba University!_", the university´s secretary´s voice could be heard through loudspeakers in the hallways the next second. "_Please betake yourselves immediately to the university´s courtyard! I repeat: Please betake yourselves immediately to the university´s courtyard! Don´t stop on your way and do not disturb the police officers! I repeat: Pl--_"

"What´s goin´ on?", Kanji asked in confusion.

"I don´t know.", Patty replied, looking just as confused as Kanji, a bit of fear in her voice. "But I don´t think this can be good if the police is involved. We should go to the courtyard, right?" She looked at Souji in question who nodded.

Naoto stormed out of the lounge.

"Where´s she going?", Yukiko wondered.

"Probably to the police to play detective again...", Yosuke grumbled while following the other outside.

There was huge agitation in the hallways: There were dozens of scared or still sleepy faces among the students while the professor who had stayed at the university this night tried their best to get them to follow their orders. Professor Takedo was using this state of chaos to grope as many male students as possible while professor Yamagishi was nearly overrun by the sea of students that didn´t listen to her at all.

The police officers were storming towards the professors´ assembly room, led by Akihiko Sanada who helped up professor Yamagishi on his way.

"This looks pretty serious!", Kou yelled over all of that noise towards the others while they fought a way through the mass of people to get outside, only to stop in horror once they left the building: Dozens of trees were ablaze outside, and a message was written at one of the walls with blood: _`YOU ARE NEXT, PROFESSOR!´_

"Move it! Move it!", an older professor shouted angrily, trying to get the mass of people to the designated place.

"Ugh! That´s professor Yamamoto! Come on!", Rise groaned and followed the others to the courtyard where a small podium had been hurriedly built, the rather desperate looking director standing on it and waiting for all of the students and professors to arrive.

"Chrm, Chrm...", the slightly fat director cleared his throat, his hands that were holding the microphone shaking.

"Silence!", professor Yamamoto yelled through the crowd.

"Well...", the director started and let his distraught gaze wander over the students. "We regret to inform you that there has been another murder - maybe even two!"

Suddenly there was a dead silence among the gathered people.

"Professor Fujibayasha has been found dead near the threat on the walls, and we have yet to find professor Bagman! Students and professors of this university, it pains me to say this, but the authorities have just now discuss about the current happenings and will soon decide if Tanaba University should be closed forever or not!"

* * *

Author´s note: There are two things I need to ask you all:

1. In _SMT: Digital Devil Saga _there had been a new element called "Terra" (earth, obviously). Is it okay if include that element later on in the story or do you think it would ruin the "Persona feeling". If so, I´ll just cancel that idea.

2. Are there many people that liked Chidori from Persona 3? If so, I have an idea, but I will only do it, if there are enough people who like her since I´d have to change the script a bit. Just tell me if you like her not.

That is all. =)


	49. Chapter 49: Changes at Tanaba University

_**Chapter 49: Changes at Tanaba University**_

The next week went by rather eventful: Shortly after the - now former - director of Tanaba University had informed the university about the murder of professor Fujibayashi, the firefighters had arrived minutes later to extinguish the fire that had now nearly reached the students´ lounges.

Mr. Bagman had been found unconscious shortly after in one of the amphitheatres, but couldn´t remember how he had ended up in that room.

The next day several public officials had arrived at the university to decide if the university should be closed or not. They had been nearly everywhere in the facility, from the hallways that connected the students´ lounges to the seminars where they wrote down everything on their clipboards.

More than necessary contact among the students was to be avoided as much as possible, and so they had decided on a curfew among the students that lived on campus for now, meaning every student who didn´t have to get something to eat from the cafeteria - which they had to eat in their lounge - had to return to their lounges immediately after the seminars were over. The public officers had deemed this a necessity since they suspected the culprit to be one of the students, and wanted to protect everyone this way. Also, the warning on the wall (_`YOU ARE NEXT, PROFESSOR!´_) had had a great role as well in that decision since the culprit was still planning to kill other professors or also students.

Ikas Ito had excused herself as ill to professor Yamagishi hours before the murder had happened, going back to her parents for a while to get better, at least that´s what Souji had gathered from the following Informatics seminar he had had. Not only he, but also the others of the group thought that this was quite strange since Ikas had just been staying with her parents a few weeks ago because of the same reason. Was her illness really bad or was there more behind it?

Of course, Yosuke had tried to defend her again, thus earning several annoyed glared by the others. No matter if she was the culprit or not, there was definitely something strange about that woman. Also strange was that Naoto who normally would have been the first to complain about Yosuke´s stubbornness hadn´t said anything at all. In fact, the young detective had decided to rather spend her time with the police officers that were stationed at the university - or to be more precise, Akihiko Sanada and occasionally Dojima who sometimes came by to give them updates on the serial killer case throughout Japan -, her reputation allowing her to roam freely around the campus. It seemed like Yosuke had struck a nerve on that night the murder had happened in Ikas´ lounge...

After five days the public officials had finally reached a decision and decided not to close Tanaba University, although strengthening security, enforcing new rules and selecting a new director who had introduce themself to them in a few days.

Souji couldn´t believe it when he had listened to some argument between two officials after one of Mr. Bagman´s seminars. Those two officials had mentioned something about _`New director´_ and _`Bagman´_. If Mr. Bagman became the next director, they could already start pre-ordering chastity belts right now!

* * *

_- OVER 9.000!!!: What do you think our new director´s gonna be like, guys?_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Thank god you finally changed your name, Kou! -.-'_

_- OVER 9.000!!!: Shut it, dude! :/_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: I think he or she will be stricter than the last one._

_- AceDetective33: He has to be, after all that has happened._

_- HassouTobiCrusher5000: I´ve some of the officials talk about Bagman-sensei becoming the new director._

_- Meat-Momma2000: UGH! I think I´ll have to puke my guts out!_

_- BlueRose: I´ll join you, Chie-san!_

_- Souji´s Angel: Leave some space for little old me there, Patty and Chie-senpai! ^.^_

_- AceDetective33: Bagman-sensei would be the most logical choice, I think._

_- GottaCrush´emAll: GHUjmk j,ioöüFinal Fantasy XIII Walkthrough (Blind) Part 20 lightning snow sazh vanille hope leonyaschwj39 l_

_uhn i klol i ikjzhhnjmj hjnm k, _

_- Meat-Momma2000: Wow, welcome to the Yukiko club, Kanji._

_- Izanagi´s Tear: Hey!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: You´re watching Final Fantasy XIII, dude? Cool!_

_- OVER 9.000!!!: Thanks, Naoto! Because of your comment Kanji´s just spit his drink and half-eaten Mars on my shirt!_

_- Souji´s Angel: Who the hell still eats Mars these days?! Snickers has nuts! That´s manly!_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: hzjhnmik j9io,,ög,dfdjme3fkj jujkef i4ujkoijoö_

_/UJ/(UHJNM MGBVEDFGBnjk,k,mzhgzhjnm,öl hjmhnjm,_

_- Meat-Momma2000: And now the hyena is clinging to the keyboard again while laughing her ass off... *rolls eyes*_

_- BlueRose: Hmm... I´d like to eat a Snickers now, to be honest..._

_- Meat-Momma2000: Patty... are you sure you and Patty aren´t siblings?_

_- BlueRose: ?_

_- Meat-Momma2000: Never mind..._

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: SUUUUUGAAAAAR!!!!!!!_

_- OVER 9.000!!!: GTFO the internet, Teddstar!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Damn... T-T_

_- Meat-Momma2000: Why is Brosuke letting him at his laptop again?_

_- HassouTobiCrusher5000: Teddie´s just breathed at Yosuke´s neck from behind. And, well, you know Yosuke..._

_- GottaCrush´emAll: Dude´s cowering in fear in the corner, righ´?_

_- HassouTobiCrusher5000: Yep._

_- Souji´s Angel: That´s our Yosuke-senpai! *thumbs up*_

_*AceDetective33 went offline*_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: What´s wrong now?_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: Rise-chan?_

_._

_._

_._

_- HassouTobieCrusher5000: Rise?_

_- Souj´s Angel: She_

_._

_._

_._

_- Souji´s Angel: She´s turned off the laptop and left the lounge just like that without saying a word..._

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: That´s our little Miss Sunshine!_

_- Meat-Momma2000: Oh, so you survived the eeeeeeevil homo attack, Brosuke? :P_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Shut it, Fatonaka!_

_- Meat-Momma2000: Hey!_

_- OVER 9.000!!!: Hey!_

_- Souji´s Angel: Get a room!_

_- Meat-Momma: ..._

_- OVER 9.000!!!: ............._

_- Izanagi´s Tear: Please take care of her._

_- HassouTobieCrusher5000: What do you mean, Yukiko?_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: Naoto._

_- Izanagi´s Tear: I don´t know why. I just have this feeling. I_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: Please, take care of Naoto should you ever enter the TV world again._

_- HassouTobiCrusher5000: I´ll promise, Yukiko._

_- Izanagi´s Tear: Thank you, Souji-kun._

_- BlueRose: But what exactly did you do to her to make her so mad, Yosuke-kun?_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Hell if I know..._

_- GottaCrush´emAll: It ain´t good that she´s seperatin´ herself from us! All for one and one for all, righ´?_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Riiii~ght~!_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: ???_

_- Souji´s Angel: You´re really adorable when you´re in your "Protect Naoto" mode, Kanji! ^.^_

_- GottaCrush´emAll: What the fuck?!_

_- Souji´s Angel: But I´ve got the PERFECT idea what we could do, guys!_

_- Meat-Momma2000: Oh?_

_- Souji´s Angel: Ice skating!_

_._

_._

_._

_- BlueRose: I looooove ice skating!_

_- Meat-Momma2000: ........._

_- Izanagi´s Tear: Me too!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: Double-............_

_- HassouTobiCrusher5000: Ice skating, during the summer?_

_- Souji´s Angel: Exactly because it´s summer, Senpai! ^^ We could cool us and Naoto´s bad temper down a bit! I don´t know what Miss Shirogane´s problem is anyway. It´s like she´s PMS´ing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: Rise-chan!!!_

_- Souji´s Angel: But it´s true!_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: But a woman can´t be PMS´ing that long!_

_- Meat-Momma2000: You´re not supposed to take it literally, Yukiko! *facepalm*_

_- Souji´s Angel: Anyway, how about it? Ice skating, yes or no? There´s an ice skating hall a few kilometres away from here where I´d performed a few years ago when they had their grand opening. Normally it´s quite a crowd in there and fully booked, but I could use my position as an idol to get us in, if you like!_

_- Souji´s Angel: Well, what do ya think? ^.^_

_- OVER 9.000!!!: Well, it would definitely be fun, right?_

_- BlueRose: I think we should go!_

_- Izanagi´s Tear: Me too!_

_- Souji´s Angel: Me three!_

_- TonightWeGarudyneInHell: I´m in if I can see Fatonaka fall on her ass!_

_- Meat-Momma2000: Hey!_

_- OVER 9.000!!!: HEY!!!_

_- HassouTobiCrusher5000: Okay, try and see what you can do, Rise._

_- Souji´s Angel: Yay! Love you, Senpai! XoXo_

* * *

Two days after this _interesting_chat the students and professors of Tanaba University were to gather on the courtyard again after the seminars were over, one of the officials holding an hour-long speach to which all but Mr. Bagman who was applauding enthusiastically and professor Yamagishi out of politeness only smiled tiredly.

"... would we like to present you now the new duo that will Tanaba University from now on.", the official ended his speech, and all students looked up when the first of the duo - a man with silver hair - entered the podium. "Akihiko Sanada..." Akihiko Sanada smiled rather awkwardly while the students and professors applauded. "... and Chidori Yoshino!"


	50. Chapter 50: Tonight we dine in hell

_**Chapter 50: Tonight we dine in hell**_

IMPORTANT: Fanfiction(dot)net don´t let me properly mark time jumps anymore so I had mark those using "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Loud applause could still be heard throughout the courtyard, especially for Akihiko Sanada who had proven in these last few months that he did his best to listen to everybody and to try and catch the culprit. With a somewhat awkward smile he endured the continuing applause, his colleague Chidori Yoshino who was standing next to him nodding towards the crowd in thanks.

"So they prevented Bagman-sensei from taking over Tanaba University.", Naoto said, suddenly standing next to the others of the group.

"Whoa! Where the hell did you come from?!", Yosuke screeched, completely taken by surprise that Naoto was suddenly there, and stumbled backwards, knocking over some students who angrily pushed him back.

"What do you mean?", Yukiko asked her.

Naoto sighed. "So you really didn´t notice it?", she said. "There have been several murders already at this university, and none of them have caused such an uproar among the authorities. But the last murder caused them to send in dozens of officials who immediately set up strict new rules. Can you imagine why?"

"Uh... well...", Kanji scratched the back of his head in thought while the new directors were holding their speech.

"Because this time a professor had been killed.", Souji suddenly sad. "The other times it had been students who had been killed!"

"Exactly.", Naoto agreed and nodded. "The students don´t really mean anything to the authorities. It´s the professors they´re worried about, especially because of the warning."

"Bastards!", Kou growled.

"So Bagman-sensei would have been the most logical successor.", Naoto continued. "You know the things he always says. He´s always placing himself and the other professors on a golden throne while the students are nothing but mere worms to him. I had thought they would choose him for sure."

"But they choose Sanada-san and that Yoshino woman instead.", Patty noted.

"Yes. The Kirijo Group interfered.", Naoto replied.

"Kirijo Group?", Chie asked. "What´s they have to do with our new directors?"

"Well, it´s well known that Akihiko-san and the person currently leading the Kirijo Group are old friends. There are also rumours that they´re more than just friends.", Naoto answered. "And Chidori Yoshino has been the personal secretary of Mitsuru Kirijo for years. It´s obvious who the real new director of this university is: Mitsuru Kirijo."

"So is that a good thing or a bad thing?", Patty asked. "I know that the Kirijo Group already has some experience in schools and such since they´re involved with Gekkoukan High School on Port Island."

"Well, our lives will certainly be easier than being led by Bagman-sensei.", Naoto opined and threw a confused glance at Mr. Bagman who had been applauding rather enthusiastically together with everyone else. Why would the man be so thrilled that those two people were now so supposed to lead Tanaba University when he´d nearly been made the new director himself? She followed the old professor´s gaze and noticed that it was resting on Akihiko who left most of the speech to Yoshino-san. Naoto had noticed numerous times now that the professor seemed to had a strange fixation on the young police officer, to be precise every time she ran into Mr. Bagman while discussing something with Akihiko. What exactly were the professors intentions in regards to Akihiko? She looked up to the sky in thought. Indeed, Mr. Bagman seemed to be on their side, with all those hints he had given them during Sideu´s stay in the TV world. But could Akihiko really be the cul--? No! She shook her head while perishing the thought, and looked up at the podium.

"... will the curfew be loosened somewhat from now on.", they could hear Yoshin speak. "You will be able to leave the campus during the day, but at night it will still be closed, for your own safety." She looked at Akihiko who nodded.

"Furthermore, we have decided to change the rules about the living arrangements.", the police officer continued the speech, the students looking at him in slight confusion. "We know that many of you have great fears because of this murder case, but have not enough money to live somewhere else. Thus we have decided that those individuals - mainly females - will be allowed to share a lounge with the opposite sex from now on so that they have at least the reassurance that a man is there to protect them." A few students grinned in a really nasty and perverted way while Mr. Bagman seemed rather angry about that decision.

"Of course, that doesn´t mean that we will just allow anyone to share a lounge with the opposite sex just to satisfy their sexual needs!", Akihiko continued. "If one wants to live with the opposite sex, they first have to fill in an application which we will review in detail."

Kou let his hopeful gaze wander towards Chie while Kanji stared at Naoto.

"Is something the matter, Tatsumi?", Naoto asked the tall man, one eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Uh...", Kanji hurriedly looked to the side.

"Senpaaaaiii~! I´m sooo scared at night with just Naoto being there in my room to protect me!", Rise squealed the next moment and hurriedly clung to Souji while the others only rolled their eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hours later found the investigation team in one of Tokyo´s great shopping center where they went to shop for food in the Junes market... Well, some of them did shop for the so important food while some of them rather browsed through the cosmetics department (Rise), others spent hours in the sweets department (Patty), and some of them sped around in a shopping cart (Teddie) while being chased by an angry Yosuke through the market.

"Thank goodness we´re finally allowed to leave the university and get some new supplies. The only thing we had left in the fridge were all contaminated by that hypnotic. And eating caferteria food all the time isn´t the best solution.", Yukiko sighed in relief while following Chie through the steak department together with the others. She inspected her purse, only a little bit of money left. "Hmm..."

The others looked at her in pity, still remembering her angry mother, but refrained from suggesting to loan her some money. They all knew that she would never accept it.

"Well, if you don´t need that stuff anymore, you can give it to me.", Patty who had returned from the sweets department, her cart now full with sugar bombs, suggested.

"Uh, you sure you´ll be able to eat all those sweets by yourself, Patty?", Chie asked her, her own cart full of steaks.

"Oh, no, not all of them.", Pattc said, chuckling. "Some of them are for Hiro."

"Hiro?", Yukiko asked.

"Oh, of course, you wouldn´t know him.", Patty said. "Hiroshi Sideu, my cousin. He´s at Tanaba University at well."

"Really? Why did I never see him at one of your meetings?", Souji asked.

"W-well...", Patty started hesitantly. "He´s not really a person that fits the Sideu standard. He´s... hmm... How do you call someone like that...? Ah, yes! A goofball!"

"Okaaaay...", Kanji only said and threw a bag of chips into his cart.

"The old Patty Sideu would have never even deigned to look at him.", Patty continued. "But the new one does... I... Anyway, some of them are for Hiro. End of the story! That´s it! Bast! Capiche?!" She wrinkled her nose, her face beet-red in embarrassment, and quickly departed for the vegetables department to look for some cabbages.

"Patty-chan´s really cute when she´s embarrassed.", Rise giggled, having finally returned from her adventures with the newest cosmetics, and was now helping Naoto to fill their cart. "... Were are Teddie and Yosuke-senpai, anyway?"

"Playing tag.", Kou explained to her while rummaging through a stack of ham, wanting to get the best one of them.

"Aaaaah!!!", they suddenly could hear Patty screaming, followed by a screeching Yosuke and a loud crash.

"It seems Sideu has managed to find those two.", Naoto sighed in annoyance and followed the others to the vegetables department to find out what exactly had happened.

"Am I only imagining things or is Teddie rather fixated on Patty?", Kou asked the others.

"That´s fine with me.", Yukiko opined. "His constant talk about _`scoring´_ is slowly driving me insane."

"Where did Ted pick that word up anyway?", Kanji asked.

"Um...", Yukiko started and looked to the side in embarrassment, only her, Souji, Chie and Yosuke knowing when the blond Shadow had learned that word.

"Well, you should never wear any perfume that smells like jasmine.", Souji hurriedly said to spare Yukiko any explanations, earning himself an appreciate glance from Yukiko.

"What do you mean, Seta-senpai?", Naoto asked, puzzled.

"Well, ever since the day we´ve rescued Patty he´s been talking about how nice she smells.", Souji explained. "If I remember correctly she likes to wear a perfume that smells like jasmine."

"Must be really stimulating for him then. He normally isn´t that perverted.", Rise said.

"Perverted little fetishist...", Chie grumbled.

"Well, there´s gonna be a time when an innocent little boy becomes a full-grown man who want´s ta experiment a li´l bit.", Kanji said and nodded sagely. The others looked at him in disbelief, but forgot everything about what he´d said when they spotted the chaos in the vegetables department: Shelves after shelves lay on the ground, vegetable lying everyone, and among all that chaos Patty, Yosuke and Teddie - Teddie being captured beneath the upside-down lying shopping cart - were lying in a sea of cabbage.

"Perverted teddy bear...", Patty grumbled while trying to stand up and stopped in horror when she saw one of the angry clerks who had arrived at the department.

"Uh...", Yosuke stammered in embarrassment. "E-every day´s great at your Junes?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that day Teddie was once again sitting all alone in his lounge, new sugar stash in his lap and playing the online game at Souji´s laptop (Yosuke had permitted him to touch his laptop). He jumped up in horror when Souji returned from his trip in the TV world to teach Patty the basics of battle, and tried to hide the sugar in vain.

"S-sensei...!", Teddie started with fake happiness, but hung his head low in sadness when Souji wordlessly grabbed the sugar and threw it into the bin.

"Yosuke´s right. You´re definitely eating too much sugar.", Souji scolded him and tried with all his might to resist Teddie´s puppy dog eyes. The blond Shadow just had this child-like aura around him that would evoke parental feelings even in the greatest macho. But the worst thing about it was that Teddie had slowly started to realize this fact during the years they had spent apart and always tried to use it to his advantage. "Where´s Yosuke anyway?", he asked to get Teddie to stop using that look.

"I dunno.", Teddie replied while massacring a crowd of virtual sheep with the help of his online friend BoyWithBlueHair. "I had taken a nap in Sensei´s bed--" (At those words Souji took a short glance at his bed and noticed a faint trace of drool on his pillow) "-- and when I woke up Yosuke was already gone. He´d left some notice stuck on his laptop in which he´d told me not to touch it."

"... He did?", Souji slowly asked and stared at Yosuke´s laptop for a while before finally grabbing a chair and opening the laptop that had been on standby, thus booting itself up immediately when Souji opened it. The next moment had to turn down the laptop´s volume, though, since some loud techno music started playing a few seconds after. "What the hell...?!", he groaned and took a look at the Internet site the laptop had automatically loaded. It was the popular Internet site _YouTube_, and the video that had been loaded was titled _`Tonight we dine in hell (Sparta Remix)´_, uploaded by a user called _`DiscoFrog2000´_. The silver-haired man didn´t have to think twice about who that user was that had created that video which was some kind of parody of a well-known move (Author´s note: That video really exists. Here´s the link:www(dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=dBZNS2WRpyM&playnext_from=TL&videos=PAuhHGqfKKE). He listened to the video a few times, then he paused it. It was a rather strange, simple video, yet still... the components were rather fitting and the music wasn´t that bad at all. "So this is what Yosuke does in his free time when he´s here...", Souji mumbled and stared at the pause screen for a while before clicking to another site that had started loading when he´d opened the laptop. "4chan...", he read the site´s title and scrolled down, his eyes getting bigger and bigger by the second. 4chan seemed to be some kind of English forum where one could talk about everyone - meaning REALLY EVERYTHING - together with other anonymous users. But what had Souji so surprised weren´t all those different strange or disgusting topics - video games, bestiality, drugs, hentai and other such horrible things -, but rather the terminology the users used, like _`SAGE GOES IN THE EMAIL FIELD! DO IT FAGGOT!´_, _`SAUCE NAO!´_, _`NEWFAG! BURN IN HELL!´ _, _`SAGE THE SHIT OUT OF THIS FAIL THREAD!!!´_, _`Y´ALL NIGGAS POSTIN´ IN A TROLL THREAD!´_ or _`GTFO OFF MY MOON KINGDOM!!!´_. The silver-haired was completely beat by that strange world that presented himself in this strange forum.

"Oooh! That woman there got some huuuge melo--", Teddie began enthusiastically when Souji made the mistake of entering the hentai section, then hung his head low when Souji, disgusted by what he had seen, hurriedly went back to the section the page had first loaded, 4chan´s music section.

"Music again...", Souji mumbled and clicked on the third and last site that had loaded by itself: It was a completely normal chat site. Yosuke seemed to had himself logged off before leaving, but Souji managed to spot the user name _`Garu´s Traitor´_on a list of randomly chosen users, memorizing that user name and the site´s name before closing the laptop again. "Nothing..."

"Should there have been something, Sensei?", Teddie asked curiously.

"... No, of course not.", Souji said after a bit of hesitation, stood up and started to change his pillow slip. He couldn´t tell the blond Shadow what he was really thinking about... Just like Naoto had already decided that Ikas seemed to be the culprit, he, too, had come to a conclusion that made his stomach churn. "Yosuke..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Author´s note: Ikas, Bagman, Akihiko, Fuuka and now Yosuke: Those are people that are being suspected to be the culprit by the investigation team? But is the culprit really one of them? Or someone else? Well, only I know the answer for that question for now. ^^

Also, note that according to Persona 3 Chidori had lost all of her memories about the Dark Hour, meaning she can´t be exactly the same emo girl she once was. She also won´t have that much of a role in this story since she´d been crammed into it just a bit ago by me.

Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: It won´t really screw up the story. Akihiko said at the graveyard that Chidori sacrificed herself for Junpei. In both version (the one where she stays dead and the one where is revived) she sacrifices herself for him so that won´t screw up the story at all. If I had mentioned that she´d dead in that chapter, then I would have had a problem. ^^


	51. Chapter 51: Garu's Traitor

_**Chapter 51: Garu´s Traitor**_

"Akihiko...", he could hear his father´s voice while the baby buggy came to a halt, the rain still crackling down on them. "Take good care of your sister, my boy... Whatever you do, don´t ever let anything happen to her... Otherwise... I..."

His father´s voice slowly died away, swallowed by a thick fog, and the next moment an older Akihiko was standing in front of the burning orphanage of Tatsumi Port Island, screaming for his sister who was still in there, the nursery nurses and Shinjiro trying to hold him back.

"You were a baaad boy~, Aki...", an amused voice chuckled next to the boy who recognized it as Mr. Bagman´s voice. The eyes of the old professor were glowing yellow while he was staring down at Akihiko gloatingly, everything around them giving way to deep darkness. "Children mustn´t play with fire, Aki! You know that exactly!"

"I... It´s not... my fault..."

"Yes, it is. And you know it far too well, my dear. You´re a baaad boy~!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"NO!!!", screaming Akihiko awakened from his uneasy slumber and stared into the slightly worried face of Mitsuru, next to her standing Junpei who was looking at him like he had grown a second head.

"... Everything alright, Akihiko-senpai?", he asked, slightly confused about Akihiko´s behaviour in his sleep.

"Yeah. Just a bit jazzed because of my new job and all.", the young police officer and now director said and yawned. "And isn´t it time to stop with that `Senpai´ stuff already?"

"Nope. Old habits die hard, Senpai.", Junpei said with his patented grin.

"Just like I will never really get you."

"Hey, hey! I resent that!"

"Anyway, Iori. My decision won´t change.", Mitsuru butted into the childish argument.

"Decision?", Akihiko asked in confusion and nodded towards one of his colleagues who was about to leave at the same time.

"The reason Iori´s followed me until here.", Mitsuru shortly explained.

"But... Senpai... How am I supposed...", Junpei started, voice sounding strained.

"So you´d rather return to that... that dump?", Mitsuru asked, nose wrinkled as she remembered the old fast-food restaurant Junpei had been working at.

"Of course not!", Junpei said immediately. "'specially not since I might get to kick some Shadow ass if I stay here! But... working as a janitor here... Working under _her_..."

"Junpei... It was your own decision back then to stay away from Chidori after she had lost her memories.", Akihiko reminded him.

"I know, man! I know...", Junpei said and looked to the side. The next moment a smile started to spread on his face. "But man, did that Chidorita change! I´d nearly not recognized her, wearing all those fancy clothes and all! `Wowy´ 's all I can say to that!"

"Making it possible for her to live this kind of life was my way of making it up to her.", Mitsuru explained and smiled slightly. "So do you really want to refuse the job as a janitor at Tanaba University, Iori? Together with Akihiko and Yamagishi you´d have to familiar faces who could show you around."

"I... I´ll take the job.", Junpei replied hesitantly.

"Good. Then I´ll expect you at work next Monday."

"Just... Just make sure that our paths won´t cross, 'kay?", Junpei pleaded.

"Leave it to me.", Akihiko said and then turned to Mitsuru. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence her, Kirijo-sama?"

"We had planned to dine at that new restaurant tonight.", Mitsuru said with slightly raised eyebrows. "... You forgot."

"I-I... of course not!", Akihiko hurriedly said and jumped up. "J-just let me run back home to dress appropriately, and then we ca--"

"Oh, that won´t be nessecary.", Mitsuru interrupted him, her voice slightly cold now. "That restaurant doesn´t require any special state of dress."

"... It doesn´t?"

"No. But I´ve heard they serve rather delicious hamburgers there.", Mitsuru said enthusiastically and turned towards the door. "I expect you at the limousine in ten minutes. Not a second later!" And with that she left the room.

Junpei threw a meaningful grin at the young director.

"... What?!", said director snapped.

"Trouble in paradise?", Junpei teased.

"Grrr...", Akihiko grumbled, took some of the documents from his working table that were titled _`Yosufu Bagman´_ and grabbed his jacket. He was already at the door when he stopped dead in his tracks. "... Did she say something about hamburgers?!"

"Uh, yep. I think so.", Junpei replied and scratched his goat beard in thought.

"Since when... No, never mind... I´d rather not know.", Akihiko sighed and finally left the office.

"Two completely different personalities...", Junpei mumbled. "But for some perverted reason they fit together rather nicely."

"Who exactly is a pervert?", someone suddenly asked. Startled, Junpei looked up and spotted Chidori Yoshino in horror who had just now entered Akihiko´s office in search of the silver-haired man.

"Uh... Hi..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Souji sighed deeply once he´d left the Tajibayaki´s house where he´d just now learned about something rather unexpected...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It all has started with Souji arriving on time in front of the big family house, raising an eyebrow at the Tajibayaki´s neighbour who - as Souji had found out the last time when he´d been here babysitting - apparently did some rather weird things at night hurriedly threw his lawn mower to the side when he´d spotted the silver-haired man, and ran inside his house, as if he´d been scared that Souji would shout out his dark secret the next moment.

Souji wasn´t really bothered about the man´s fetishes, but he wasn´t really sure if that man would be good for the Tajibayaki´s son Shinji. But he thought about it some more and decided that that little devil couldn´t get any worse just because of some transvestite.

After a few seconds of staring after the neighbour he knocked at the door, hoping that the parents would return a bit sooner today so that he´d have enough time to log onto that one site and find out who that _Grau´s Traitor_was exactly. The name totally spelled `Yosuke´ to him. The only problem would be that he wouldn´t be able to chat with the user while being in the same room, should the music-loving man really be said user. The only way to accomplish that was to access the site from a cyber café and hope that Yosuke was online at that time.

He didn´t really know what he was hoping to accomplish by that, but it was worth a try. Yosuke was acting rather strange and nowhere to be found sometimes, also when Patty had been kidnapped. He could only hope that his guess was wrong...

The door was opened and he stared into the slightly confused face of Hisano.

"Good evening, Hisano-san.", Souji greeted the old lady who was still staring at him in confusion for a few seconds before her facial expression finally changed.

"Ooh, Souji-chan!", the old woman said happily, stepped aside and let the young man in. "Come in, my dear. My son and his wife are already away."

Souji stared at her, puzzled. Son?

She led the silver-haired one into the living-room where Mrs. Tajibayaki was sleeping on the couch, Shinji sleeping next to her in his crib.

"But, Hisano-san...", Souji started, not understanding anything anymore. Hadn´t Hisano just said that both Tajibayaki´s were already away?

"Isn´t she just the sweetest thing?", Hisano said absentmindedly while staring at the sleeping Mrs. Tajibayaki. "My sweet little granddaughter. She´s got the same eyes as my husband..."

"Wh-wha...?!"

"Hnn...", Mrs. Tajibayaki, woken up by the other two people in the room, slowly sat up and looked around in the room. "... Oh, Souji-san!", she said when she noticed Souji, hurriedly re-arranging her hair. "I must have fallen asleep! I´m sorry!"

"You don´t need to apologize.", Souji hurriedly said, the woman seemingly embarrassed over having been seen sleeping.

"You´ve slept so nicely, little one. I just coudn´t get myself to wake you up.", Hisano said and sat down on the couch, gently caressing Shinji´s cheek. "Just as cute as Keitaro." She looked at Mrs. Tajibayaki, gaze glassy. "Dear, when is Keitaro coming back home? It´s been so long."

"Grandma, do you really have to...", Mrs. Tajibayaki said with a choked voice, tears in her eyes.

Souji was staring at both women in total confusion. What was going on here?

Hisano had turned away from her grandson - or was it great-grandson? - and was looking at a magazine that was lying on the table. "Now where did I leave those reading glasses...", she mumbled.

"You´ve never had reading glasses, grandma.", Mrs. Tajibayaki reminded her.

"Oh, right!", Hisano agreed and started browsing through the magazine.

Mrs. Tajibayaki sighed when she noticed how confused Souji was, and motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen.

Having reached it, the young woman - about Souji´s age, maybe a bit older - closed the door behind her and sat down on one of the chairs, motioning for Souji to do so as well.

"I guess you´ve realized it now, haven´t you, Souji-san?", she asked him.

"Does she... have Alzheimer´s disease?", Souji asked.

Mrs. Tajibayaki nodded. "Yes, very much so. It had all that started when my parents had died back then, and it had gotten worse after my grandfather had died."

"So you´re her granddaughter?", Souji asked.

Mrs. Tajibayaki stared at him. "Of course! What in the world did that woman tell you?"

"That you´re her daughter."

Mrs. Tajibayaki shook her head, looking desperate. "She always does things like that. And she´s always asking where Keitaro is, her son - my father..." She looked up at Souji. "This is the real reason why I had wanted a babysitter, Souji-san: Not only so that someone could look after Shinji, but also to look after my grandmother who I´m even more worried to leave alone than my little son." She started to look for her purse rather hectically. "Of course, that means you deserve more money. Now where did I...?"

"No, you don´t have to!", Souji hurriedly said.

"... Are you sure? It´s no problem to raise your pay.", Mrs. Tajibayaki said. "You have to know, I don´t really like owing people something. It´s just against my nature."

"No, really, it´s okay.", Souji refused. And then: "So it was you she had visited in Inaba´s hospital?"

"... Huh? Oh, yes! I had visited her back then when I had fallen down the stairs in her house. I had to spent several weeks in the hospital...", Mrs. Tajibayaki remembered, but then stared at Souji in confusion. "But how do you know about that?!"

"I already know Hisano-san from Inaba. I´d worked in that hospital as a janitor for a while.", Souji explained.

"Oh? So that´s why my grandmother´s taken such a liking to you." Mrs. Tajibayaki looked at the clock. "Oh shoot! It´s already so late!" She jumped up. "I´m sorry I have to end our conversation just like that, but I have an important meeting soon! Please take care of Shinji _and_ my grandmother, alright?"

"Of course.", Souji promised, feeling an inner warmth that announced to him that worrying together with her granddaughter over Hisano had just now strengthened the Temperance Social Link.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The silver-haired threw a last glance towards the Tajibayaki´s house and then to their neighbour, noticing with a certain annoyance that the transvestite was spying on him through a curtain. Did that man really think that Souji was out to ruin his reputation that much?

The silver-haired only shook his had and continued to walk towards a cyber café.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_`Welcome to __**Ai Shiteru**__!_Souji was greeted in sparkling letters on that chat site. Out of pure randomness he chose the user name he had used back then to annoy Yosuke when they had first configured their laptops when they´d arrived at Tanaba University (_KnuddelsForever_) and started searching for the user _Garu´s Traitor_. He found the user a few seconds later and was delighted to see that they were online.

"Hope it´s not Teddie playing around on Yosuke´s laptop again, though...", Souji mumbled, but then winced when he remembered that he´d just done so yesterday himself. But now that he wasn´t in any danger of Yosuke walking in on him he took his time to browse through the user´s profile.

_- Favourite colour: pink_

_`Uh... Pink and Yosuke?! Not that I´m aware of...´_, Souji thought.

_- Sex: female_

_`Oh...´_And just like that Souji felt really stupid all of a sudden.

_- Garu´s Traitor: U checkin´ out my profile, lol? _(Author´s note: _Garu´s Traitor _is writing this in English. Normally they would write this in Japanese since they live in Japan.)

Souji stared at the computer screen. So the users got a message when someone was checking their profile?

_- KnuddelsForever: Yes. Hi! =)_ (Author´s note: Souji´s writing in Japanese here.)

_- Garu´s Traitor: Oh, a Japanese one! There are usually only Americans on this site. LMAONADE!_ (Author´s note: From now on both of them are writing in Japanese.)

_- KnuddelsForever: Even though this site has a Japanese name?_

_- Garu´s Traitor: 'specially __**because**__the name´s Japanese! Those Americans looooove Japan!_

_- Garu´s Traitor: Been there for a short while! Those horrible little teenagers!_

_*Notice: Garu´s Traitor is checking your profile*_

_- Garu´s Traitor: Those teenagers squealing `Kawaaaaaiiiii Desuuuu!´ are everywhere there! Inb4 vomiting!_

_- KnuddelsForever: I had no idea..._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Welp, doesn´t pay to always walk around the world with your eyes closed. I had to experience myself already, sweety!_

_._

_._

_._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Oh, no fair! U don´t have any information about urself on ur profile! U´ve stalked me, and now I don´t get to pay you back?! :/_

_- KnuddelsForever: I wouldn´t call it exactly __**stalking**__._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Whatevar!_

_- KnuddelsForever: And I´ve just now created my account._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Oh, so then u´re a total N00B at this site! XD_

_- Garu´s Traitor: Okay, let mommy Garu take you under her wings, my little sweety! xo~_

_`Okaaay, that woman´s a little bit strange...´_, Souji thought.

_- Garu´s Traitor: But first tell me something about u, already! I´m so fuckin´ bored here I could just tear down this whole freakin´ room! Entertain me already! _

_- KnuddelsForever: Well, I´m male._

_- Garu´s Traitor: And u use __**that **__as a user name?! 0.o Lol! Gay?_

_- KnuddelsForever: Nope. I´d annoyed a friend of mine back then with that name. I´d just remembered it._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Ur boyfriend? Oooh, do tell me more about ur stories with him! Does it involve a bed and huge amounts of whipped cream? :3_

_- KnuddelsForever: Friend, not __**boy**__friend._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Spoilsport! :/_

_- Garu´s Traitor: At least tell me what u look like! Am I chatting with a hot surfer right nao? XD~~_

_- KnuddelsForever: I´m afraid not._

_- Garu´s Traitor: T-T_

_- KnuddelsForever: I´m rather tall, with dark silver hair, athletic._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Athletic~! Tell me more, Stud Muffin!_

_- KnuddelsForever: Well, there´s really nothing more to tell._

_- Garu´s Traitor: How endowed is your `plumbing´?_

_._

_._

_._

_KnuddelsForever: ???????_

_- Garu´s Traitor: Oh, come on now! Don´t be shy nao, sweety! :3_

_- KnuddelsForever: Sorry, but that´s something only me and my future girlfriend have to know._

_- Garu´s Traitor: So u´re available! How old are? Where do u live? I´ll come over right nao~!_

_- KnuddelsForever: 21. Tanaba University. That´s more than enough information._

_._

_._

_._

_- KnuddelsForever: You still there?_

_- Garu´s Traitor: Yes, yes, of course! I´m just trying to imagine you in my head! Rrr, nice view~!_

_- Garu´s Traitor: And how´s ur boyfriend look like? Just as sexy as u are?_

_- KnuddelsForever: Friend, not __**boy**__friend._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Yeah, yeah! Gimme details already! ._

_- KnuddelsForever: Well, he´s smaller and I´d say weaker than me, with red-brown spiky hair._

_- KnuddelsForever: And he always wears those trademark headphones of his._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Hmm..._

_- KnuddelsForever: Hmm?_

_- Garu´s Traitor: *is imagining Knuddels and his boyfriend doing the naughty in bed*_

_- KnuddelsForever: ......................_

_- Garu´s Traitor: Sorry! ^.^ Us girls just looooove yaoi! X3_

_- KnuddelsForever: You really sound like one of my female friends, you know._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Who knows! Maybe I am her! Here in this chat room you could meet anyone! Ur best friend_

_- KnuddelsForever: No, I don´t think you´re her._

_- Garu´s Traitor: or your worst enemy..._

_- KnuddelsForever: Huh?_

_._

_._

_._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Kiddin´! XD Don´t take everything so serious all the time, kiddo! ^.^_

_- KnuddelsForever: Okaaay..._

_._

_._

_._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Oh welp! Same time again?_

_- KnuddelsForever: Huh?_

_- Garu´s Traitor: Oh, come on! Us meeting like that´s gotta be destiny, Hot Stuff! We really have to chat again some time! But next time longer than that! Just don´t have any time anymore right nao! Pretty please??? T-T_

_- KnuddelsForever: Of course!_

_- Garu´s Traitor: YAY! LOVE U, HOT STUFF! xo bye-bye!_

_*Garu´s Traitor went offline*_

_- KnuddelsForever: Bye..._

_*off*_

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", the voice in Souji´s head suddenly began talking after he´d logged out. "Thou has established a new bond... It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona of the Hermit Arcana..." Seconds later the Arcana appeared before his eyes while a gentle warmth began spreading through his body.

"Well, I don´t think I´ll have any other choice but to chat with you again now...", Souji mumbled, smirking, and left the cyber café. "But she´s really a strange person, that Garu´s Traitor... Really strange..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Author´s note: The author would like you to know that Garu´s Traitor´s opinions do not represent her own opinions.

.......... Except maybe a liiiiiittle bit of those yaoi ones........

And yes, it´s Social Link Time at the moment, meaning not really any action. ;)


	52. Chapter 52: Naoto explodes

_**Chapter 52: Naoto explodes**_

When Souji returned to Tanaba University that night - just in time, as he´d noticed by looking at the sorely disappointed look Mr. Bagman who was patrolling at the entrance gate to punish any students that came back too late gave him - Yosuke was sitting on his bed hovering over some notes he quickly shoved aside when the silver-haired entered. Teddie was currently sitting in front of Yosuke´s laptop playing RuneScape, like always, while Rise was sitting in front of Souji´s laptop checking her fan mail on her e-mail account.

"... Rise?", Souji asked, confused over the teenie idol´s presence.

"Heya, Senpai!", Rise squealed happily and smile at Souji before returning to her fan mail.

Souji threw a puzzled look at Yosuke who merely cleared his throat and looked to the side in embarrassment.

"What´re you doing here?", Souji asked her while sitting down on his bed and throwing his bag to the side.

"Oh, I´m staying here overnight! Yosuke-senpai said it´s okay.", the teenie idol replied, her eyes not leaving the computer screen.

Souji threw another look at Yosuke who was still staring to the side, his head red like a tomato. Souji raised an eyebrow, stood up and sat down beside the other man. "What exactly did she do to make you allow her staying here?", he whispered to the music-loving man who was still averting his eyes. He tried getting a peek at Yosuke´s notes, but Yosuke´s body blocked his view from them far too well.

"Sh-she...", Yosuke slowly started. "She winked at me, okay! That... That´s the first time a female´s winked at me!"

Souji stared at him for a while, then burst out laughing, rolling from the bed and falling to the floor where he continued laughing his ass off, Yukiko style.

"Damn you, you asshole!", Yosuke snapped, grabbed his notes and stomped to the kitchen.

"You´re so cuuute when you´re laughing, Senpai!", Rise giggled.

Still chuckling over Yosuke´s virginal behaviour, Souji sat up and looked at Rise who was watching Teddie play the online game. "And to what exactly do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Rise - not to mention that it´s not allowed to just stay overnight at the lounge of the different sex?", he asked her.

"Hmm...", Rise kept his back towards him.

"... Rise?", Souji slowly asked, not liking the sound of it. "... What exactly is happening in your lounge at this moment that you have to sleep here tonight?"

"N-nothing!", Rise hurriedly said, whirled around and threw an awkward smile at him.

_`Bingo!´_, Souji only thought and threw his leader glare at her. "Rise! Spit it out!"

A few seconds of silence, then: "Kanji´scurrentlysittingnakedinourloungeinnaoto´sbedwaitingforhertoentersothathecanseduceher!", Rise gushed in about a second before quickly turning around and watching Teddie play again.

"... What?"

"Kanji´scurrentlysittingnakedinou--"

"Slowly! So that I can understand it!", Souji said in an angry tone, already fearing the worst.

"Kanji is... currently sitting naked in our lounge in Naoto´s bed... waiting her to... to enter so that he... he can seduce her...", Rise said sheepishly, slowly turning around again with a fake smile. "I wonder what´s for dinner..."

"WHAT?"

"Uh..."

"Rise... You wouldn´t possible be the one who suggested this, are you?", Souji asked her.

"Weeeell~..."

"Rise!"

"Okay, okay!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"WHAT?", Kanji screeched, making Kou who had been lost in the manga he´d been reading, jump up from his bed, landing head-first in the muscular man´s sewing basket.

"OW! FUCK!", the basketball freak yelled in pain and pulled some needles out of his hair.

"Oh, come on, Kanji! I bet you have a really hot body! No woman would say no to that!", Rise said, sitting down next to Kanji and laying an arm around his shoulder.

"She´s gonna castrate me!"

"Aww, she´d never do that!", Rise assured him.

"No, she´s just gonna rip him apart.", Kou agreed, snatched his manga and lay down on his bed again.

Rise looked at Kanji with puppy dog eyes.

"Nuh-uh! No way in hell!", Kanji yelled at her.

Rise sighed theatrically. "Fine... Then I´d better go and write some wedding invitations for Naoto and Sanada-san´s wedding..."

"Huh?"

"Oh, come on, Kanji!", Rise snapped at him. "Haven´t you noticed how Naoto´s got the hots for him? Especially because he´s a police officer! And she´s constantly referring to him as `Akihiko-san´! And have you ever taken a closer look at that guy? He´s reeeeeaaaally hot - not as hot as Senpai, but still hot!"

"But he´s dating that Kirijo!", Kanji protested and looked at Kou for help who merely shrugged before continuing to read the manga that was about a normal high schooler who was madly in love with his Kung Fu sensei.

"And how exactly is that going to stop Naoto?", Rise countered. "Women can be very inventive when it comes to their dreamboat!" Kou merely snorted in amusement, but quickly shut up when he noticed Rise´s glare. "So?"

"Well...", Kanji started. "I dunno..."

"Believe me, Kanji! Naoto´s someone who´d you just have to clobber one and drag her to your bed like the cave men did back then if you want her to notice you! Trust me!", Rise continued. "You´d rather have that Sanada guy snatch her away?"

"N-no..."

"I can´t heeeeeaaaaar you~!"

"HELL NO!"

"So go to her lounge right now, strip and show that guy who´s boss!", Rise shouted at her like a sergeant at his rooky.

"HELL YEAH!", Kanji yelled and stormed outside.

Kou only stared at Rise, one eyebrow raised.

"What?", Rise asked, innocent air around her.

"_`Women can be very inventive when it comes to their dreamboat´_, was it?", he said. Rise continued looking at him in fake confusion. "Maybe I should inform Kanji that you´re just using him to get rid of Naoto so that you can fill in an application stating that you´re too scared to live alone, meaning you can get a lounge for you and Souji."

"If Kanji moves out of here, Chie-senpai can move in here.", Rise only said.

"Maaan, am I tired today! I don´t think I´ll be able to make it to Naoto´s lounge to warn Kanji! Good night!", Kou yawned, rolled to the side and threw the blanked over his head.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Souji only stared at Rise in disbelief who innocently smiled back at him.

Silence, then...

"KUUUUUUUJIIIIIIIIKAAAAAAAWAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"I think I´ll be going now!", Rise hurriedly said and tried to escape to the kitchen. But she got there to late, the entrance door already kicked open and a naked Kanji thrown into the lounge, followed by a furious Naoto who was aiming at them with her revolver.

"KUJIKAWA! HOW DARE YOU POSITION SOMETHING LIKE THAT" (she was pointing at the unconscious Kanji with a shaking finger) "IN MY BED!" A suitcase was thrown towards Rise. "I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE IN MY LOUNGE AGAIN! THAT GOES FOR THE REST OF YOUR GROUP AS WELL!"

"Naoto...", Souji started, but quickly shut his mouth again when he noticed the murderous look on Naoto´s face.

"I´VE HAD ENOUGH! FROM NOW ON I WILL NEVER SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN EXCEPT WHEN WE ENTER THE TV WORLD! FOREVER, YOU NEANDERTHALS!" She whirled around, walked out of the lounge and slammed the entrance door in such a manor that even Mr. Bagman who had come to see why the Shirogane brat was yelling so loudly jumped up slightly.

"Good work, Rise...", Yosuke only while he continued to stare at the entrance door together with the others.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A little bit later Souji, Yosuke and Rise were knocking at the entrance door to Patty´s lounge where they could hear a male laughing.

"Yes?", they could hear Patty who opened the door the next moment. "Oh, Souji-kun! Come on inside!"

"I hope we´re not bothering you.", Souji said, noticing that her hair was now short once again (it seemed she had taken off those extensions).

"Oh, no, it´s just Hiro and me here.", Patty said and entered the kitchen together with them where a rather tall man with tousled looking hair sat and was drinking a cup of cocoa, Hiroshi Sideu.

"Oooh, Patty-chan! Are those friends of yours?", Hiro asked with a rather shrill voice that made the others wince slightly and proceeded to hug each of them while groping their asses at the same time. Yosuke was staring at the brown-haired with horror, his homo radar at Code Red already while Hiro started shaking their hands wildly. "It´s really cool that you finally got some real friends, Patty-chan! And good-looking ones at that! Oh yeah, I´m Hiroshi Sideu, but you can call me Hiro or Hi, but most of the people around here would think you were saying `Hi´ to me all the time, and we don´t want that, do we! But anyway, I´m so super duper mega hyper happy that Patty´s finally got some friends!" That all came out of his mouth in about 4 seconds, still shaking the three friends´ hands like crazy that were now starting to hurt.

"P... Pleased to meet to...", Souji managed to choke out. "... Souji Seta."

"R-Rise Kujikawa."

"Yos--"

"RISE KUJIKAWA! OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOD! A REAL CELEBRITY! HOW AWESOME!", Hiro screeched the next moment, his eyes seeming to sparkle all of a sudden while he stared at Rise gaping.

The other two men stared at Patty who merely shrugged and laughed a bit.

"Well whatever, I have to get back and study for university! Thanks for the snacks, Patty-chan! So much sugar for my little brain to feast on, you know! Not that that would help, but one can still hope, righ'! Okay, bye, sweeties!", Hiro gushed, grabbed a big bag full of sweets, drank the rest of his cocoa and walked out of the lounge.

"`Goofball´ is pretty accurate.", Souji finally said.

"I told you so!", Patty giggled and sat down together with them.

"Did... Did he really... grab my... my ass?", Yosuke asked, still shocked.

"Yeah, that´s Hiro. He doesn´t care for the sex of a person. He likes both.", Patty explained to him.

"Maybe we should introduce him to Kanji.", Yosuke said, but stopped when he noticed Souji and Rise´s looks. "Sorry..."

"... Did something happen?", Patty asked, noticing their looks and Rise´s suitcase.

"I... well... Naoto has just... thrown me out of our lounge, so to say.", Rise explained.

"Patty, could you perhaps...?", Souji slowly started.

"Of course Rise-chan can move in with me!", Patty said immediately, stood up, grabbed Rise and dragged her to the bedroom.

"Good...", Souji sighed in relief and then looked at Yosuke who was still staring at the table in shock. "How about a quickie?"

"WHAT?", Yosuke screeched, jumped up, stumbled over his own legs in the process and fell to the ground whimpering.

"Sorry, but it´s just too funny to see you freak out.", Souji laughed and hurriedly dodged a punch by Yosuke. "Okay, let´s get back. I still have to finish that new essay for Yamagishi-sensei." Both men stood up and entered the entrance hall in Patty´s lounge where Patty was currently stowing away Rise´s jacket.

"You´re leaving already? But you´ve just gotten here!", the red-head said.

"Sorry, but we´d actually just wanted to ask you if Rise could stay here, Patty.", Souji apologized and took another look at her new hairstyle. "So, short hair again, huh?"

"Yeah. I thought that if I start over I could also start with a new hairstyle."

"It suits you. Really.", Souji said.

"Th... Thank you, Souji-kun.", Patty thanked him and stared at him for a while.

"Hey, now that I remember, weren´t you two in the TV world training yesterday?", Yosuke butted into the conversation.

"Uh, yes...", Patty slowly started.

"We´d never really seen it when we´d defeated your Shadow so... What´s your Persona look like, Patty?", Yosuke continued to ask.

And just like that Patty´s face got even redder while Souji started to blush as well.

"U-uhm... Well...", Patty stammered. "It´s called Iz--"

"So you´ve finally decided to return!", they could suddenly hear Mr. Bagman yelling from the hallways. "Do you really think you´re be able to pass the coming tests like that, Ito!"

"Ikas is back?", Yosuke said and went to the entrance door together with the other where they could see the entrance door of Ikas´ lounge through the clearance between door frame and door leaf that wasn´t far away from Patty´s lounge. Mr. Bagman was currently standing there shouting at Ikas who looked even sicker than before, wearing a few band-aids on her right cheek.

"She´s injured! So was it really her that you´d fought with on the roof, Souji-kun?", Patty whispered to the other men while Rise joined them in their observation.

"But that can´t be...", Yosuke snarled angrily.

"Don´t start that again. We´ve already had enough of that today!", Souji admonished both of them. Yosuke just looked to the side in annoyance while Patty stared at Souji in confusion.

"What...?", the red head started, but Souji only shook his head.

"I´ll tell you tomorrow.", he promised her while watching Ikas enter her lounge after Mr. Bagman had finished his talk about how she was never going to pass any exams. "Okay, let´s go before Bagman catches us here and goes berserk over us being at one of the girls´ lounges.", Souji said to Yosuke, nodded towards the two women and sneaked through the corridors.

"... Do you think that Ikas did it, too?", Yosuke suddenly asked on their way to their lounge.

Souji stared at him for a while. "No, I don´t think so.", he said.

Yosuke looked at him with relief in his eyes. "Thanks, Partner!"

_`I think it´s too early for to thank me, Yosuke...´_, Souji thought, still remembering the notes that Yosuke had tried to hide from him when he´d entered the lounge. _`Far too early for that...´_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Author´s note: I´m currently playing through FF XIII (an okay game so far) and was kinda looking like this: "o.0" when one of the characters in it said nearly the exact same thing the Final Boss of this story´s going to say. So please don´t go telling me that once we reach the end since that´s really just a coincidence. :P


	53. Chapter 53: A musical victim?

_**Chapter 53: A musical victim?**_

It was rather foggy in the corridor Teddie was walking along in his dreams. Everywhere the blond Shadow could see small green and red lights blinking for a short while before they already disappeared again, strange beeping and clattering forming a strange symphony.

"Is someone there?", Teddie asked while continuing to wander through the corridor, being able to just see a hazy figure that seemed rather small and had short hair. "Helloooooo!", he shouted, but the person didn´t turn around, rather bending over something that caused those strange sounds. "Okay, if you don´t come over, I´ll come and get you!", the Shadow grumbled and started to run.

"Burn..."

"My..."

"Dread..."

"Wha...?" Teddie came to halt immediately and looked around, puzzled. "Wh-who´s there? Come out and show yourself!"

"You have forgotten who you are..." An icy cold voice said.

"... what you are..." A chuckling voice.

"... why you are..." A voice full of ire.

"Of course I know who I am! I am Teddie, a Shadow of the TV world!", Teddie protested and continued to walk, wanting to find out who that other person was.

"A Shadow, yes..."

"A Shadow, no..."

"Truth as well as a lie..."

"What do you mean?", Teddie asked. "Don´t talk in riddles! I´m not that good at using my brain, ladies!"

"Remember who you are..."

"... what you are..."

"... why you are..."

"I already told you, I--"

"Burn..."

"My..."

"Dread..."

The next moment the corridor started collapsing and the blond Shadow fell deeper and deeper until he was finally swallowed by the mouth of a giant face that was grinning maliciously. That figure started to grow larger and larger until it had reached gigantic heights, absorbing all the light around it until the door it had been locked behind finally caved. It stormed outside, grabbing the second part of itself and--

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Screaming loudly, Teddie woke up from his dream and noticed with a confused look that he wasn´t the only one screaming. He looked around and spotted Sensei who was sitting bolt upright in his bed screaming.

"Nngh... Shut it, Nikita...", Yosuke mumbled annoyed in his sleep.

Souji stared at him. Nikita? He looked at Teddie who still seemed out of breath. "Bad dream?", he asked the blond Shadow who nodded. Souji´s body was still slightly shaking, still seeing the burning Justice Arcana he had dreamed about before his eyes.

"Sensei, who´s Nikita?"

"Hm... No idea...", Souji answered, walked over to Yosuke and shook him a few times.

"... Whazzup?", the other man mumbled sleepily a few seconds later and wipe the sleep out of his eyes.

"Well, it´s" (Souji shoved the curtains out of the way so that glistening light fell into the room; Yosuke groaned loudly and shoved the blanket over his head) "a beautiful sunny morning! Time to rise and shine and spend a fun seminar with uncle Bagman!"

"You´re an ass!", Yosuke grumbled underneath the blanket, wriggled out of his bed and staggered towards his closet where he took out random pieces of clothes.

"... You sure you want to were that?", the silver-haired asking, looking rather skeptical at the rather dirty shirt.

"Hmm..." Yosuke yawned loudly while examining said shirt and looked around in the closet some more. "Yep. All the other shirts are even dirtier."

Souji rolled his eyes. "There´s a small washing machine in the bathroom, you know..."

"Dunno how to use that.", Yosuke simply said and shrugged, getting into the green dirty shirt.

"I know how you feel, Yosuke!", Teddie announced cheerfully, already dressed. "I don´t know how to use that thing as well! We really _are_ bearmates!"

"_Soul_mates.", Souji corrected him.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever...", Yosuke mumbled, still half asleep, and then suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, one leg already in his trousers while the other dangled in the air. "Wait a minute... How come your clothes still look so fresh?"

"Sensei´s washing them for me!", the blond Shadow explained and left the lounge to go to the cafeteria.

Yosuke´s gaze wandered towards Souji who hurriedly looked away.

"H-hey, Partner...", Yosuke began, voice far too cheerful and friendly. "You wouldn´t really mind adding my clothes to your washing program, would you?"

"Yes, I would.", came the immediate reply from Souji who was still dodging Yosuke´s puppy dog eyes.

"Pleeeeaaaase! We´re supposed to be best friends, aren´t we?", Yosuke begged.

"And as your best friend it´s my duty to make sure you learn how to wash your stuff yourself."

"I´ll even pay you! How much?"

"... You just sounded like a John who wants to pay his whore."

A gagging noise was his only answer.

Souji sighed. "Okay. Tell me who that Nikita is, and I´ll do it."

"N-N-Nikita?", Yosuke repeated, eyes suddenly huge. "I-I don´t know anyone by that name!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, really!", Yosuke replied.

Souji stared at him for a few moments. "Have fun washing your clothes, Yosuke!", he said with a happy smile and left the lounge as well, leaving behind a loudly grumbling Yosuke.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining brightly, the birds were chirping their enchanting melody, the crowd in the cafeteria was bustling with happiness, it was the beginning a wonderful new day -- until a certain young woman by the name of Naoto Shirogane entered the hall, and every last bit of happiness vanished from the group around Souji - except Patty who still hadn´t entered the cafeteria and Kanji who was lying in bed, too injured to stand up. Sweating just a little bit, they followed the detective´s every step with their eyes, feeling the dark aura of malice around her, and their eyes got bigger and bigger the closer she got to their table, realizing Naoto was going to sit together with them.

"... Good morning, Naoto.", Chie started hesitantly when Naoto sat down next to her.

"Good morning, Satonaka-senpai.", the rather civil reply came.

"E-everything alright?", Kou asked.

Naoto looked at him shortly and let her gaze wander through the group, completely ignoring Rise, before she sighed. "I... had been thinking about that incident yesterday before going to bed...", she started slowly. "... and I have come to the conclusion that I had acted rather hastily and unjust towards the rest of the group."

The friends looked rather relieved.

"Yet still!", Naoto continued and the others flinched visibly. "That doesn´t mean that I won´t forgive those two indiduals that had caused that incident so easily. My statement from yesterday still goes for those two."

Rise seemed rather small in her chair now, but still swatted away Teddie´s hand that tried to snatch the ham from her plate.

"So what´s this about the ice running now?", Teddie asked curiously while rubbing his now aching hand. Naoto looked at him.

"Oh, Ri--", Souji began to explain to her, but stopped when he saw Naoto´s look at the mentioning of that name. "W-we´d just been informed that we could go to the ice skating hall in two weeks before you´d entered the cafeteria."

"Ah, I see.", Naoto said and nodded, her gaze following a person that had just entered the room.

"And it´s ice _skating_, not _running_, dude!", Kou corrected Teddie, following Naoto´s gaze. "... Is that Patty?"

The others looked up as well and spotted Patty who had just entered the cafeteria, nose wrinkled in a snob-like manner, wearing a pink dress and walking towards her fangroup at the other side of the room, throwing a condescending glare at Ikas who was sitting all alone in a corner eating her cereals.

"What the--?", Yosuke sputtered. "Did she hit her head and forgot what´d happened a few days ago or what?"

"No, she´s merely doing what I had asked of her yesterday before I had returned to my lounge only to find that... that THING in my bed.", Naoto explained, receiving questioning looks from the others. "Sideu has a rather big number of fans and admirers. If she continues playing her part as a spoiled brat, she´ll be able to manipulate those idiots so that they will also be on the lookout for the culprit. The way we could be able to gather much more information around the campus, though there probably will be many false rumours among it as well. Sideu´s cousin has also agreed that it is a good idea." She looked rather annoyed when mentioning Hiro, meaning that she probably had to suffer the same treatment Souji, Yosuke and Rise had yesterday.

"So Patty-chan´s cousin knows about it?", Yukiko asked.

"I had to lie just a little bit in his presence, saying it was `for the good of the police investigations´.", Naoto explained.

"Speaking of investigations!", Teddie suddenly said. "Teddie´s dreamed again!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

10 minutes later...

"Like a melody...", Naoto mumbled, lost in thought. "You are sure it was a female, Teddie?"

"Yep, 100 bear-cent!", the blond Shadow said and nodded.

Yosuke looked around in the cafeteria. "And once again it could be literally everyone!"

"But the warning said the next victim would be a professor.", Yukiko objected.

"Ah, that´s right!", Chie remembered and nodded. "So if it has something to do with music, it should be one of the female music professors, right?"

"Right.", Souji said.

"Unfortunately, we don´t know any of the professors in that department.", Naoto sighed.

"Well, I could try to casually ask professor Yamagishi if she--"

"Professor Makushita.", Yosuke said.

"Huh?", Kou looked at him. "Who´s that?"

"She´s the only female music professor at this university. And she´s got short hair.", Yosuke answered.

"How do you know her, Yosuke-kun?", Yukiko asked curiously.

"M-me? Uh, well, I...", Yosuke started and looked to the side.

Souji stared at him for a few seconds, and then understood. "I´ve never got around to asking you with all of the stuff that´s been happening, but what else do you study except literature, Yosuke?", he asked.

"A moment of silence, then: "Music..."

"Music and literature? Wooow, Failsuke! Those sure are the right things for the future manager of Junes to study!", Chie taunted.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Chie looked up horrified when Yosuke jumped up angrily.

"Yosuke...?", Teddie asked hesitantly.

"... I´ll be heading towards Bagman´s seminar. See you there, Partner.", Yosuke said, trying to sound calm, and started running to catch up to Ikas who had just now left the room.

"What the... hell was that about?", Chie asked the others, looking after Yosuke.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The following seminar with Mr. Bagman went on like usually: The old professor proceeded to bully every last of his students - his favourite victim being Ikas - and tortued them with literature of the most boring kind at the same time while adding further annoying the students with his rather small handwriting - which Souji was sure of he did on purpose.

But what Souji did notice during those 90 painful minutes was that the professor refrained from running around the room, jumping at anyone who dared to not pay full attention to the seminar for even a second, like he usually did, but rather sat on his podium for most of the time. He´d also noticed how the professor had been hobbling when he´d entered the amphitheater.

_`So did he really fight against the culprit on the day professor Fujibayashi had been killed...?´_, Souji wondered while scribbling down quotations of famous novelists.

At the end of the seminar he stayed behind and stared after Yosuke and Ikas who were leaving the room together before he finally turned to the podium where Mr. Bagman was packing away his stuff. The old man looked up in mild interest when he noticed the silver-haired man approaching him.

"Yes, my boy?", the professor said and took off his reading glasses.

"I just wanted to make sure you´re alright, professor.", Souji started. Mr. Bagman raised an eyebrow. "Well, after that attack on you it seems you´re acting a bit differently than usual. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, I get it know, my dear.", the old professor said and continued to pack away his stuff. "Sanada-san had asked me the same thing in Dojima-san´s stead since that man had always arrived at university when I hadn´t been around. This is going to be some sort of interrogation now, right?"

"... Of course not.", Souji replied.

"Ah, ah, ah, don´t lie, my dear. I can´t stand liars. Honesty and virtuousness, those are the traits an old man like me values the most.", Mr. Bagman admonised him, took out a case and deposited his reading glasses inside it. "It´s quite alright to ask me something like that. You are involved in this cas after all, aren´t you?"

"... Professor?", Souji asked, examining the professor´s analyzing gaze. Should he continue to act like they both didn´t know anything about the TV world or should they both come clean?

"Well, with that Shirogane as your friend there really is no helping that.", Mr. Bagman replied. "I can imagine that she´s basically forcing you to help her."

"I wouldn´t say that, no.", Souji answered. _`So we´ll continue the charade...´_, he thought. "Naoto is a precious friend to me; a very precious friend indeed. If I help her solving the case, then it´s because she´s that precious to me, and I´m doing it out of that friendship."

"How very noble of you!", the professor said. "And since you´re so honest about your feelings, I´ll be honest as well: No, I didn´t see the culprit or heard their voice that day. My leg aches a bit, but other than that I´m fine, thanks."

"That´s good to hear, professor."

"May I be so bold as to ask you a question now myself?", the professor continued.

"Yes, of course."

"Why exactly are you studying literature, my dear?", the old man asked him.

"Professor?"

"Well, don´t get me wrong, my boy.", Mr. Bagman started. "You´re one of the best students I ever had. One just can´t help but being a little curious there. So I had taking a look at what else you´re studying. Informatics..." An analyzing gaze appeared on his old wrinkled face. "Informatics and literature together as a combo don´t really open any doors to a specific job, now do they?"

Souji looked at him for a moment. "... Should I be honest, professor?"

"Yes, you should, my dear. As I have already said, I don´t particularly like liars."

"I want to work in the computer industry.", Souji explained. "I don´t really know yet where exactly in that industry, but that doesn´t really matter. Just building new computers or firewalls or stuff like that, I would take any job in that compartment. So I had chosen literature just for fun. I don´t need it in my future life." The professor just stared at him in silence. "Are you angry now?"

"How so?"

"Because the things you´re teaching me aren´t really of any interest concerning my future life.", Souji answered.

"Sould I be angry?", the professor asked. Souji looked at him, confused. "My dear, if there´s anyone I should be angry at, then it´s those other fools in my seminars who need the stuff I´m teaching them later in their lifes. That they´re losing to someone who doesn´t need literature at all angers me the most. Why should I be angry at you? You´re taking this seminar serious, always hand in perfect assignments and arrive always on time. No, I´m not angry at all, but rather happy about your honesty, my boy."

"Thank you, professor.", the silver-haired thanked him. He believed he was finally starting to understand the old man better and better. He was someone who valued ambition, diligence and virtues like that. People who fulfilled thise virtues didn´t need to fear him at all, but everyone else was just dirt to him.

"Well, you´re actually just like me in that regard, my dear.", the professor suddenly said and suddenly looked much older. "I, too, have to do things I don´t want to do..."

Souji looked at him questioningly, feeling at the same time that Tower Social Link had just leveled up.

Mr. Bagman sighed. "Well, I think it would be better if we hurried now or we´ll be late for the next seminar. Have a nice day, my boy."

And with a nod the professor and Souji left the room.

But while Mr. Bagman turned right and left, Souji turned left and ran into Naoto who had waited for him outside the room, staring at the floor.

"Oh, sorry, Naoto!", Souji apologized and helped her up.

"I-it´s alright.", Naoto said. Souji looked at her, puzzled. Was he just imagining things or was she blushing just a bit. "... Th-thank you, Seta-senpai..."

"Huh?" It was a bit strange to hear Naoto stuttering like that.

"I-I mean thanks for what you told Bagman-sensei about me.", the young detective explained, still avoiding eye contact.

"Oh..." So Naoto had heard him. "And I mean it, Naoto. Really."

She nodded, hands nervously balled to fists. "Senpai...", she started, finally looking him in the eyes. "I..."

"Yes?"

"I... l..." She shook her head miserably. "I... In two weeks... when we return from ice skating, c-could you... come to my room? There is... something very important that I would like to discuss with you.", Naoto spluttered.

"... Of course.", Souji said, still confused about Naoto´s strange behaviour.

She looked to the ground again. "Th-thank you, Set-- Souji-san." And just like that she turned around and hurried to her next seminar.

"Okaaaay...", Souji only said and walked towards his next literature seminar. _`Women...´_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Author´s notes: Men......

Also, the spellchecker of this site didn´t want to work so there may be more errors than usual. I may re-upload the chapter once the spellchecker finally works again.


	54. Chapter 54: The fun on the ice begins

_**Chapter 54: The fun on the ice begins**_

When Noriko Kashiwagi returned from her shopping in Junes this afternoon to the Dojima house, she knew immediately that something just wasn´t be right. Loud, over the top giggling greeted her ears when she opened the entrance door, and what in god´s name was that smell? Was that...? A little bit scared the former teacher dropped the shopping bags and ran towards the living-room, almost breaking her neck when she fell over that damn basketball again in the process. In the living-room she was greeted by the vision of an uncontrollably giggling and burping Nanako who was lying on the couch, swaying back and forth while watching TV.

"Nanako-chan?", Kashiwagi asked, confused, but stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted the small and now empty plastic bottle on the table. "Wh-where did you get that?"

"F... Found it *hiccup* in the fridge! D-delicious juice *hiccup*!", Nanako slurred as an answer.

Kashiwagionly continued to stare at the twelve year old girl that had confused an alcoholic drink that Kashiwagi had bought for herself with juice, now being drunk for the first time in her life.

_`Kids really grow up so damn fast these days...´_

_~.~.~.~.~.~_

Hot and blazing the sun shone down upon the informatics amphitheatre that was already heated enough due to all those computers in the room. Souji who´s back was turned to the sun could feel how those sun rays were starting to burn his back while he wiped the sweat from his forehead for the umpteenth time. Next to him his working partner Ikas didn´t look any better with her long-sleeved pullover.

"Just roll up the sleeves a little.", he suggested, looking up from the assignment they were working on the computer.

"... Huh?", Ikas only said, too focused on her work.

"Just like that.", Soujisaid, grabbed one sleeve - Ikaslooking up in horror -, rolled it up- and immediately let go again. "What the...?" Wide-eyed, he stared stared at all the gashes on Ikas´ arm.

"I-I...", the young woman stammered and shoved the sleeve back over her arms, looking to the side in embarrassment.

"Sorry...", Souji apologized. Could it really have been her that he had been battling on the roof that day? He shook his head slightly. No, those gashes seemed much older... "Where...", he hesitantly started.

Ikas was staring at the screen again and continuing her work. Souji stared at her for a moment, then followed her example in resignation.

"... Those wounds are from the day my twin sister died.", Ikas suddenly said, her now slightly glassy gaze still focused on the computer.

"What?"

"I... had a twin sister.", Ikas continued. "She´d never really cared about me and always ignored me, treated me like I never existed." Her fingers that were gliding over the keyboard were shaking just a little. "I can´t really remember how she died anymore. The doctors said I must havehit my head that day and gotten some kind of amnesia. I can only remember that we´d entered this strange room. So much buzzing around us, so cold inside... and you could almost get drunk from the atmosphere... I... remember how she´d screamed before she... well.."

Souji only stared at her. It was the first time he had heard her talk without stuttering, and it had to be when she talked about how her sister had died, of all things.

"I... must have been attacked as well... My body´s full of gashes, and I have to wear glasses since that day. That´s why I always wear long clothes... to hide those wounds."

"Ikas... I´m sorry.", Souji started.

"You... don´t have to.", Ikas said, forced herself to smile and returned her attention to the project once more. "L-let´s ju-just carry on w-with the project, al-alright?"

Souji nodded, the Death Social Link having just leveled up.

~.~.~.~

After the end of the seminar Ikas was the only one who stayed behind, having to sit through detention which she hadn´t be able to attend to until now due to her illness. Souji smiled at her encouragingly, remembering the conversation they´d had moments before.

~.~.~.~.~.~

"By the way, would you like to go ice skating with us?", he´d asked her the moment Professor Yamagishi had ended the seminar.

"Huh?" Ikas looked up from her bag.

"My friends and I are going to go ice skating in two weeks. I´d like to invite you.", Souji explained.

"O-oh, you mean that! Y-Y-Y-Yosuke-san´s already asked m-me.", Ikas replied.

"Oh. Well, you´re very much welc-"

"I-I can´t.", Ikas interrupted him. "I have t-to sit through de-detention."

"Oh yeah, that´s right!", Souji remembered. "Sorry..."

"It´s... It´s o-okay...", Ikas hurriedly said, eyes watering, and turned around. "Wh-why always me... I..." Her body started shaking with suppressed anger.

~.~.~.~

Souji sighed before turning around the corner, nearly running into Hiro, Patty´s cousin, in the process.

_`Whoa! That seems to become a habit today!´_, he thought, remembering how he´d collided with Naoto a few hours ago, and startled slightly when he noticed how Hiro was hovering over the door to Professor Yamagishi´s office. "... Hiro? What are you doing?"

Hiro jumped up, whirled around in horror and stared at Souji for a few seconds before he remembered him. "Aaah, yeah! You´re one of Patty´s friends! Saito, right?"

"Souji.", the silver-haired corrected him.

"Yeah, Soito!", Hiro said with a face-splitting grin and quickly hid something that looked like a lock pick. "Maaaan, it´s really hot today, isn´t it! I´m sweating so much I could fill several buckets with it! Not that anyone would drink that voluntarily- but I know! Maybe it does taste quite good, a sweat punch! Just add some salt and pepp- ah, noooo, I think there´s already enough salt in sweat, righ'! Hmm... How about vinegar? ... Yeah, right, vinegar! And some raspberry essence! And-"

Souji only stared at the brown-haired man. How could a human manage to say so many things in one second? "... Hiro, what exactly where you doing there in front of Professor Yamagishi´s office door?", he finally asked, ignoring the man´s rambling.

"- added together could make a really good pu- huh?", Hiro stopped abruptly, slowly registering the question. "Oh, you know Professor Yamagishi?"

"Yes, she´s one of my professors."

"Oooh, then we´ve got something in common, Seto! She´s one of my informatics professors as well, although I´m already one year ahead of you! What do you think about the clothes she´s wearing, by the way? Pretty old-fashioned, don´t you think? Although that only adds to her beauty, if I think about it... Such a young professor that also looks quite cute! How old do you think she is? Are those hairs of hers really green or did she dye them? I´ve heard she´s on good terms with the Kirijo Group! Maybe that´s how she got her job at such a young age! What do you think about her voice? She sounds like an angel, doesn´t she? And the way she always-"

"I-I dunno, Hiro. I´m... more into older women.", Souji hurriedly lied to make the other man stop.

"Like Professor Takedo?", Hiro asked excitedly.

"N-no-"

"Did you know that Takedo-sensei´s supposedly into SM? There´re some rumours that she got a torture chamber in her house! And-"

"That sounds really interesting, but I´ve gotta go now, Hiro.", Souji interrupted him again.

"Oh, okay. Well, catch you later!" And with that Hiro quickly groped Souji´s ass before jumping around the corner.

"A goofball indeed...", Souji sighed and turned towards the cafeteria.

"Complete moron...", Hiro mumbled behind the corner and waited until nobody was in the hallways anymore before he continued working on the door with the help of the lock pick again.

~.~.~.~

The next two weeks went by in a flash.

The whole university seemed to have finally calmed down after the shocking news of Professor Fujibayashi´s death, and the students as well as the professors had already gladly welcomed the new directors Sanada and Yoshino and the new janitor Iori who would rather hang out with the students than do his work.

Concerning the serial murder case throughout Japan, the police still didn´t have any clues at all; that much Naoto could tell from the few talks she had had with an annoyed-looking Ryotaro Dojima.

What Naoto did manage to find out was that the blood that they had found in Ikas´ lounge was not the same blood that had been found on the wall next to the dead professor, meaning it wasn´t the professor´s blood they had found in Ikas´ lounge. Thus Naoto had returned to her theory that the blood must have been Ikas´ blood who had been injured while fighting Souji on the roof. Of course, Yosuke was again the first one to protect the shy woman.

Kanji had finally been able to leave his room a few days after that certain night, although he was still a bit wobbly on his feet, and avoided Naoto as good a possible while ignoring Rise completely.

Rise herself had other worries. She and Patty were quite compatible roommates, but the red head got on teenieidols nerves quite often when she woke up at night and set out to raid the snack bar rather loudly, then following with aerobics in her bed in the morning to burn the gained calories, also quite loudly. Throughout the day she whined that Rise didn´t stop her from eating all those sweets, only to then eat some more of the stuff five minutes later.

Patty hadn´t managed to get any useful information in those two weeks at all which made her quite sad and also rather annoyed. Not only did her faked snobby attitude prevent her from spending more time with her new friends, but she also had to suffer through all those useless information, like how disgusting person A´s new purse looked or how person B and person C had done it in one of the lumber-rooms, hearing the disturbing giggling from someone that sounded like an old man.

The friends had started to watch over Professor Makushita, the music professor that fit Teddie´s description according to Yosuke, just like they had done with Patty back then, only this time in groups of two to avoid being overwhelmed by the culprit again. There had only been some slight misunderstanding when director Sanada had found Souji and Rise together in a lumber-room, shortly after the rumor about the quickie in one of those lumber-rooms had started to spread.

~.~.~.~

Finally, the day they had all been waiting for - even Naoto, even though she would never admit it - arrived: The day they would all go ice skating, being able to forget the stressful daily life, the killer and everything else for at least one day.

Teddie was jumping up and down this whole time in the streetcar like a coffee addicted squirrel while Yosuke whacked him time and time again, dodging Hiro´s attempts (Patty had invited him as well) at groping him at the same time who claimed to only want to measure his new friends´ proportions.

~.~.~.~

The ice skating hall that Rise had talked about all this time was a giant gray building, surrounded by a park and a rather big pond where ducks lazily swam around. The building itself had a huge frozen surface insidewhich led outside to the park where one could even use the pond for ice skating in the winter. But since it was summer now that area was off-limits for icer skaters which wasn´t a problem at all; the hall´s frozen surface was so big that even 500 people could easily skate around to their heart´s content without getting into each others way. Separated from the main frozen surface there were several small ones, intended for sport clubs that could train there without being interrupted by amateurs.

"It´s c-cold here...", Teddie opined after they had been greeted by the ice skating hall´s manager - a small fat man who was wiping away the sweat on his forehead with a floral handkerchief every second or so - who had wanted to have Rise on his next promotion. Rise who was currently on break had kindly refused.

"Well, it´s ICE skating after all, dude!", Yosuke said while leaving the changing room together with the other men to wait for the women. Naotowas already outside and standing in front of the frozen surface.

"Where are the others?", Souji asked the young detective who was staring warily at the ice.

She looked up and hurriedly changed back to the normal gaze that usually adorned her face. "They are still changing.", Naoto replied and slowly looked back to the ice with a worried look.

"Hey, did we somehow manage to lose Patty´s cousin or something?", Kou suddenly asked the others, only now noticing that Hiro wasn´t with them anymore.

"'s probably still changin´.", Kanji said.

"No, Sideu-kun is in the women´s changing room.", Naoto said with disdain in her voice.

"WHAT?", Yosuke screeched.

"Aww, I could have done that, too!", Teddie pouted.

WHACK!

"Don´t overdo it, furball!", Yosuke growled.

"B-but Patty-chan smells sooo nice~!", Teddie whined. Yosuke only shook his head while Souji chuckled to himself and thought about buying jasmine for the Shadow in their way back.

"What did that guy do now?", someone from the women´s changing room said, Chie exiting it moments later, followed by the rest of the women, all in fitting ice skating dresses, and Hiro.

"Wha... Ho... Wow...", Yosuke only managed to babble, gaping, while next to him Kou was thoroughly analyzing Chie´s body, drooling.

"It was Rise-chan´s idea.", Yukiko explained, slightly embarrassed that everyone was staring her.

"Well, if we go ice skating, we might as well dress up for the occasion!", Rise said in amusement, whirling around to give everyone a show before clinging to her beloved Senpai once again.

"I think it´s really gut idea.", Patty admitted, looking beautiful in her blue dress. "But I think the sweets may have ruined my figure a bit..."

"No worries, Patty-chan! You look super cute!", Teddie panted and got whacked again by Yosuke. Souji had to agree with Teddie whole-heartedly.

"Why aren´t you wearing a cute dress as well, Nao-chan?", Hiro asked, wearing a pink ice skating dress for men (the world may never know how he´d managed to find a pink dress for males).

"... I don´t think such clothes would suit me.", Naoto answered, and then with a death glare: "And I don´t want to give a certain someone any ideas."

Kanji suddenly seemed much smaller than before.

"O-okay, guys! It´s time to hit the ice before the day´s over!", Souji hurriedly said to diffuse the situation and entered the frozen surface first, rather unsteady at first since he hadn´t been ice skating for a while, but a then with ease after a few seconds.

"C´mon, Failsuke! Hurry up and fall on your ass already!", Chie taunted while jumping up and down on the ice to provoke Yosuke.

"I´ll show you, Fatonaka!", Yosuke grumbled and did a careful step towards the ice. "I haven´t spend most of my childhood on the ice for nothing!"

"Tch! You´vegot nothing against me, dude! They could me `Mr. Frosty´ back then!", Kou boasted, wanting to impress Chie.

Yukiko who had been doing an experimental pirouette just now fell to the ground laughing her ass off. "M-Mr. Fros... Mr. Frosty!", she laughed, tears in her eyes, while other ice skaters looked at her worriedly.

"She´s always like that.", Rise tried to calm the other people, rather embarrassed.

"I´ll pound you into the ground!", Yosuke snapped.

"You´re gonna eat my dirt, dude!", Kou snarled, entering the frozen surface together withe music-loving man.

The next moment there could be heard loud screeching by both loudmouths and by Chiewho jumped to the sidein panic when both men started to slide towards different directions, undamped. Kou fall to the ground face-first, managed to stand up and grabbed Soujiwho tried to get away in his panic. The silver-haired man got dragged along for the ride until they crashed against the boundary.

Yosuke´s excursion wasn´t as exciting as Kou´s: He simply crashed into another person and fell to the ground. When he opened his eyes he stared into the lust-filled ones of Hiro - whom he´d crashed into - who had wrapped his arms around him.

"My, aren´t we a sly one!", Hiro whispered in his ear. Yosuke was dead in his tracks. "But I like that about a man, you know~..."

Yosuke did the only thing he could think of in this situation: He fainted.

And thus Kou, Yosuke Souji and Yukiko - who was a danger to herself and others lying around on the ice laughing - were hauled away from the ice by the others, the little adventure on the ice already over for those two.

~.~.~.~

Author´s notes: I´ve somehow started to favor Souji x Patty even though I actually don´t want to pair him with anyone. 0.o Baaaad me!

GemAbsorber : That´s a nice guess with Garu´s Traitor. Well, there won´t be any explicit gay characters, but there are already some gay moments, especially now that Hiro has finally entered the story. ;)

Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: It´s nice to see you wondering about the culprit like that. What I can tell you is that I always like to confuse my readers and lead them on many false tracks as possible. Also, the first part of the ice skating event has started in this chapter, and as you can see I tried to make it not so cliché-like like it´s often read/seen. Also, I´d written down the pairings at the end of one of the chapters, also the fail pairings. One of the fail pairings is Souji x Naoto.

Goddess of Discord and Heaven: I don´t really know what you´re talking about. But if you mean Yosuke, then you´ll have to wait and see. It´ll become more and more obvious in the next chapters.

anonymous: Yeah, Naoto will stay like that for quite some time. She´s intended to be OOC for several reasons, one of them being angry about knowing how Soujiused them all for his Social Links. We will learn more about her reasons for acting like that later in the story.

Everyone else: Thank you for your kind reviews! =)


	55. Chapter 55: A clarifying talk

_**Chapter 55: A clarifying talk**_

Author´s note: There are just too many jumps between present and past in this chapter so that I will have to inform you throughout the chapter whether we´re in the past now or not.

~.~.~.~

The sun had been shining down mercilessly upon Japan for weeks now. The ones that could sought cover in their houses, sitting in front of ventilators - thus getting a nice load of pneumonia in the process -, or went out to eat some ice-cream to cool themselves down. According to the weather forecast this was only the beginning of one of the hottest summers Japan had ever seen.

Souji and his friends didn´t notice anything about that this day in the ice skating hall, the temperature inside comfortably cool, although some of the visitors wished for ear plugs - _`Gimme, gimme more!´_ was playing in the background right now -, but one just couldn´t have everything they wished for.

Souji, Kou, Yosuke and Yukiko who were sitting on the tribune while cheering on Naoto who was still hesitating to set foot upon the frozen surface also had to realize that, not being able to skate for a while now because of their slight injuries.

"Come on, Naoto! It´s really easy!", Chie tried to encourage the young detective and extended a hand towards her, wanting to guide her while skating.

"I-I don´t really know if that is such a good idea...", Naoto said hesitantly. "I... have never done this in my entire life..."

"Aw, Teddie´s never been ice skating as well, and he´s doing just fine!", Chie said.

"I can see that...", Naoto said in disbelief, her gaze following Teddie who was stalking a loudly screeching Patty over the ice field on all fours, not only wearing skates on his feet, but also on his hands.

"*Snrk*...", Yukiko managed to choke out, having noticed Teddie only now.

Souji took a short glance at Yosuke and Kou who were still arguing about whose fault it had been that they had had that epic fail just now, and decided that they were distracted more than enough before he sat down next to Yukiko.

"You seem to be having a lot of fun.", he said.

"Oh yeah, I *snrk* sure do!", Yukiko giggled while watching Teddie who had just now managed to send Kanji flying to the ground like a bowling pin in his pursuit. Even Naoto who was currently holding onto Chie´s hand for dear life while skating had to laugh a bit when seeing that. "As soon as my back´s better I´ll definitely hit the ice again." She started laughing again when Chie let go of Naoto. The young detective started sliding, non-braked, paddling around with her arms in panic, and crashed into Kanji to whom she clung immediately to stabilize herself again. The result was a beet-red Kanji who tried to get away as fast as possible before Naoto could hurt him.

Meanwhile Souji threw a rather worried glance at Yukiko and wished that her back would hurt for the rest of day, for her own safety and other people´s as well. He continued to observe the amusing spectacle between Naoto and Kanji for a little while longer before he cleared his throat and asked: "Can we... talk, Yukiko?" Yukiko looked at him, a bit confused. "About you, I mean." The long-haired woman continued to stare at him for a few moments, then her face suddenly went serious and she nodded. "How do you feel, Yukiko?"

"... Good, so far.", Yukiko said after a bit of hesitation while staring at the ice field again. Yosuke and Kou´s argument was getting more and more agitated in the background. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I´m worried about you, Yukiko.", Souji said. "And... if I remember correctly, you had blamed me partly as well."

Yukiko stared at him, wide-eyed. "No, Souji-kun, I didn´t mean t-"

"Please be honest, Yukiko."

Yukiko only stared to the side.

"Yukiko...", Souji sighed and lay a hand on her shoulder. "I know that you don´t like to accuse others, to hurt them, but... Those were your own words that night. And while almost everything you had told us that day had been spoken with a rather shaky and unsure voice, it had been quite strong during the part were you had blamed me."

"I´m... sorry.", Yukiko apologized, still not looking at him.

"You don´t have to be. We all have hidden thoughts and wishes hidden inside us that we don´t want to acknowledge. But those are part of us as well." He cringed mentally when he thought about what he had hidden deep down inside him. "Personally, I think that being able to summon a Persona means that one is true to his real self and the world, because one has faced his fears." _`But you never had to. Right?´_, a rather mean voice that he recognised as his conscience spoke in his head. _`It´s really convenient to have the power of the Wild Card, isn´t it? Who knows what might have come out of you by now in the TV world...´_ He ignored those thoughts and continued: "I assume you´re not completely sure whether your Shadow will appear again or not?"

Yukiko stared at him and nodded, slowly.

"And that´s the first step, Yukiko.", Souji continued. "You´re able to realize that there´s still something that´s bugging you. And it has something to do with me."

"... Yes.", came the hesitant reply. "It´s..." She tried again, but couldn´t bring herself to talk any more. "I just don´t know where to start."

"That´s okay. If it were _that_ easy, none of us would ever have had to face their Shadow."

"... I had already told that I had literally broke down shortly after you had left Inaba, especially after Chie´s dog had been killed.", Yukiko started after much hesitation. Souji nodded, leaving it to Yukiko to decide whether she wanted to continue or not. "I... I had felt so alone back then. I mean, we had spent nearly every day together as a group, but none... none of you had noticed how I had really felt. None of you had realized that all of this - the violence, the lurking dangers - were slowly starting to get to me." A short pause. "I know it´s egoistic of me to think like that, but... but I just can´t help it, Souji-kun! Yes, each of us had their own problems at that time, but... just one look and you should have noticed what was going on!"

"Yukiko..."

"And then that time around November!", she continued, her hands now shaking. "We´d all been there for you when Nanako-chan and Dojima-san had to stay in hospital! And where had you been when I was feeling down? Back at your parents´ house, being looked after by them and maybe even glad that you had finally been able to get rid of us all!"

Souji stared at her, speechless.

"Didn´t expect _that_, did you? I didn´t expect myself to be able to think like that either!", she continued. "You were our leader! It was your task to lead us! You were our anchor during that time, and you left me behind during that dark hour! I´d given it my all, even though I´m just not cut out for something like that, and had nearly died because of it! I had been literally forced to help you with the investigations after you had saved me and all!" She stopped and stared at the ground, tears in her eyes. "... And that´s exactly how I feel, Souji-kun. Disgusting, isn´t it?"

"No, it´s not!", Souji disagreed vehemently. Yukiko stared at him. "Look at Yosuke: Deep inside he´d always hated everything about Inaba, but he´s still helped us and continued to stay with us! Look at Chie: She had used you to make herself feel high and mighty, but you two are still best friends! Look at Kanji: All the rejection he´d had to experience in his life had let to him becoming violent and hating women, and yet still he had found the strength to talk with us - meaning with Chie and you as well, two _women_ - just a few days later! Do I need to continue with the others as well?"

"N-no..."

"And there is truth in your words after all, Yukiko. All of us - me, as well as the rest of the group - hadn´t noticed how you´d really felt!", Souji continued and knelt in front of Yukiko. "I´m so sorry, Yukiko!"

"S-Souji-kun...", Yukiko started, her face red now.

In the background Yosuke and Kou had fallen from the tribune in their argument now while Hiro was talking excitedly to the others how cute Souji and Yukiko looked together, earning some death glares from Rise, Patty and Naoto.

"Th-thank you, Souji..."

Souji sat back down next to her and smiled, the Priestess Social Link having just now leveled up. _`He´s really done well this time, our little Social Link Master!´_, his conscience sneered.

Yosuke and Kou´s fight continued on the ice, cheered on by Hiro who had stolen some pompons from an ice skating cheerleader group.

"What are you gonna do now, Yukiko?", Souji asked after a few minutes.

"... What do you mean?", Yukiko asked, still embarrassed about her confession and Souji´s apology.

"Well... I´ve seen that you don´t have that much money left.", Souji said. "You need food - only eating that stuff in the cafeteria just doesn´t cut it after all -, and the next semester is getting closer and closer and needs to be paid for as well."

"I know...", Yukiko sighed. "I´ve been just too stressed out until now to really worry about that."

"Well, maybe you could sit down with your mother an-"

"No,_ that_is out of the question.", Yukiko interrupted him. "She´s made it quite clear what she thinks about me and my friends back then."

"If you´re sure about that, then I won´t try to convince you again."

"Yes, I´m very sure."

"Alright.", Souji said, nodded and chose to observe the spectacle on the ice field for a while.

Chie had opened some kind of ice skating class now, teaching Naoto, Yosuke, Kou and Teddie - who was using only his feet now - how to skate.

Meanwhile Patty and her cousin were skating near one of the corners talking about fashion while Kanji was playing bodyguard for Rise who was constantly recognised and molested by some of the other ice skaters. It was easier to just blend in with the huge crowd at the university than here.

"How did you even manage to trick your mother for such a long time?", Souji suddenly asked.

"Well, Chie and I had told her that we were going on a trip in the mountains after she had forbidden me to enter Tanaba University.", Yukiko explained. "She didn´t know when the next semester would start exactly so she´d believed our little lie. She had even been against that fake trip, but we had eventually been able to convince her that the air there would do me some good. I had paid the fee for this semester with my savings and the money she had given me fore the `trip´."

"But you must have known that she would notice someday."

"We thought that she would give in once I´d been enlisted.", Yukiko replied and smiled sadly. "I guess we´ve really miscalculated ourselves in that regard." She looked up and just about managed to witness another crash between Yosuke and Kou which made her nearly fall down in one of her laughing fits. "Well, it´s happened now.", she said after having calmed down. "I think it´s time I started looking for a part-time job or else I´ll get kicked out of Tanaba University as well if I can´t pay for the next semester!"

"I could help you looking for one, if you´d like.", Souji suggested.

"No, I think I´ll do that alone.", Yukiko said, smiling. "You don´t have to feel guilty about what happened between me and my mother! It´s not like anyone has forced me to come to Tanaba Uni-"

"Yeah, that´s right.", Souji laughed, but stopped when he noticed Yukiko´s suddenly glassy gaze.

"I see... So that´s it...", Yukiko mumbled. "I... really did feel like I had to..."

"Yukiko?", Souji asked her, confused. No answer. "Yukiko?"

"Uh... Huh?", Yukiko looked up at him questioningly. "Oh, sorry, Souji-kun! I´ve been a little lost in thought just now!" A fake smile greeted Souji.

"... Everything alright?"

"Y-yes, of course.", the black-haired woman said, stood up and went towards the frozen surface. "I think my back´s fine now! Time for round two!" And with that she joined the others.

Souji continued to stare after her for a moment, then stood up as well.

"YOU DUMB BEAR!", Yosuke could suddenly be heard yelling while whacking Teddie who was holding onto a letter again and again.

"What´s going on?", Souji asked Kou after having joined them.

"It seems Yosuke´s got a letter from his parents about a week ago when both of you hadn´t been in the lounge.", Kou explained. "Teddie had accepted the letter, but forgotten about it until now."

"Oh..."

"YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW MY PARENTS ARE LIKE, ESPECIALLY MOM! SHE´LL SEND A WHOLE CAVALRY AFTER ME IF I DON´T RESPOND TO A LETTER FROM HER AFTER ABOUT FOUR DAYS, YOU IDIOT!", Yosuke continued to yell, whacked the Shadow a last time, grabbed the letter and skated towards the boundary on shaky legs so that he could grab onto something while reading.

"And? And? What´s it say?", Rise asked curiously, hovering over Yosuke´s shoulder.

"It´s from Dad...", Yosuke mumbled while his eyes flew over the letter, becoming slower and slower, huger and huger. Eventually his eyes stopped at one sentence, his mouth forming the same word again and again: _`Disappeared´_.

"Y-Yosuke-kun...?", Patty asked worriedly since Yosuke´s hands had started shaking.

The next moment Yosuke looked up, face panic-stricken, while gazing from one friend to the other.

"I...", he started, suddenly threw the letter to the side and started running, falling down a few times on the slippery surface, but not caring. Having reached the end of the frozen surface, he slid off the skaters and hurried into the changing room.

"What´s with him?", Chie asked.

"His...", Rise who had read the letter while leaning over Yosuke´s shoulder started. She swallowed, then tried again. "His... mother´s disappeared..."

"Wha'?", Kanji shouted.

~.~.~.~

_`No!´_, was Yosuke´s only thought when he exited the changing room and stormed towards the streetcar.

~.~.~.~

Flashback:

"Isn´t he just the cutest thing ever?", he could hear his mother cooing while he was happily munching on his teether in his cradle.

"Yes. I think so, at least.", he could hear another woman in the room.

"You think so?", his mother laughed.

"I have read about babies in books.", the other woman said. His mother just laughed. "But the books say that babies should be bigger than that."

"Hmm..." His mother stared at him in thought. "Maybe so. But there isn´t just a general law how big babies have to be. Some are bigger, some are smaller." A bell could be heard ringing. "Oh, shoot! The next lesson´s gonna start! Come on!" His mother knelt down in front of cradle and kissed him on the forehead before leaving the room.

"See you again in exactly 90 minutes and 31 seconds, Yosuke-san.", the other woman said and followed Yosuke´s mother.

~.~.~.~

Present:

_`No...´_Yosuke stomped impatiently from one foot to the other while waiting for the streetcar to finally arrive, other people staring at him in confusion.

~.~.~.~

"Do you think we should follow him?", Naoto asked the others.

"No. I think he needs some time alone.", Souji said, analyzing the washy writing on the letter (Yosuke´s father must have cried while writing it).

~.~.~.~

Flashback:

Laughing, his mother returned to the room and stared at her son, speechless, who was playing with a ball.

"But how did you get so-?", she started, shocked.

"Welcome back, mama!", a four years old Yosuke greeted his mother cheerfully. She only continued to stare at him.

"Children really do grow up quite fast.", the other woman who had entered the room as well said.

~.~.~.~

Present:

Quickly Yosuke entered the streetcar, shoving several people to the side in the process, and sat down, body still shaking. _`She´s the only one who understands me...´_

~.~.~.~

Flashback:

"Mama...", a seven years old Yosuke cried and hugged his mother tightly.

"What´s wrong, little one?", his mother asked him.

"Am... Am I r-really that different from other children?", little Yosuke hiccuped.

"Of course not, sweetie!", his mother immediately tried to soothe him. "You´re just... quite grown up for your age."

"Yes, children do grow up quite fast, indeed.", the other woman said and nodded.

"Shut up!", his mother shouted at her angrily.

~.~.~.~

Present:

The streetcar reached Tanaba Station, and Yosuke stormed towards the university.

_`She´s the only one who knows what the hell is going on with me!´_

~.~.~.~

Flashback:

"Hello, Yosuke-kun.", a rather tall brown-haired man said, trying to sound as friendly as possible while kneeling down next to nine years old Yosuke who was shyly hiding behind his mother.

"Yosuke, this is Soichiro Hanamura.", his mother said in a calm voice and gently shoved him towards the man. "Say hello."

" 'lo.", Yosuke only mumbled, staring to the ground.

"Heya, little fella! How about it? Would you like me to be your daddy from now on?", the stranger, Soichiro Hanamura, asked the little boy who suddenly looked up with huge eyes and nodded enthusiastically.

~.~.~.~

Another flashback:

"Welcome to Inaba!", the female estate agent greeted the newly wed Hanamura´s and their fifteen years old son Yosuke who had just now entered their new home, and shook their hands, her piercing red eyes staring at Yosuke who just pouted while looking at the other small houses that could be seen through a window.

"Oh, come on! Inaba isn´t _that_ bad.", his mother said while combing through his hair with a hand.

Yosuke only made a disbelieving, slightly annoyed sound and continued to stared out of the window. His mother sighed in defeat and followed her husband and the estate agent to the next room.

_`Fucking disgusting rural town...´_, Yosuke thought in annoyance and then jumped backwards a bit when he saw a madly grinning little man walking right through a wall. He thoroughly rubbed his eyes a few times and stared at the wall again. Nobody was there. _`Guess I´m just imagining things...´_, he thought, his gaze lazily following a blue butterfly that had landed in their front garden.

~.~.~.~

Present:

The sun was already setting when Souji and his friends returned to Tanaba University where it was awfully quiet. It semed that they hadn´t been the only ones to use this free day to go out and spend some time in the city.

"I hope Yosuke-kun´s feeling better by now.", Yukiko said worriedly and startled just like the others when a weakly crying Ikas ran towards them.

"Y-y-you´re fi-finally back!", she cried, about to faint.

"Ikas? What´s wrong?", Souji asked.

"I... I-I-I do-don´t know wh-wh-what I´m su-supposed to do!", the young woman cried. "Y-Yo-Yosuke-sa-san s-said I sh-should w-w-w-ait for y-you first and not t-talk to a-anybody else about it be-before he-he´d just entered his lo-lounge and le-left me a-alone!"

"Ikas! Ikas, calm down first! Take a deep breath!", Souji tried to calm down Ikas who was about to hyperventilate. "What exactly happened?"

"P-P-Profess-Professor Yamagishi! Sh-she´s ju-just ly-lying th-there on the ground in her o-office!", ikas screeched and finally fainted.

"Oh shit!", Kanji groaned and stormed through the dark corridors together with the others towards Professor Yamagishi´s office where they, just as expected, found the Informatics Professor lying motionless on the floor, shards of the TV that stood in the room scattered over her body, her Shadow already having appeared on screen in front of a giant building, the green full moon shining on top of it.

~.~.~.~

Author´s notes:

Well, this is the part where I think some of the readers will run away in horror. ^^;

DropletofSour: Sorry, but what do you mean? Do you mean there is a name from one of your fanfictions in it? If so, then no, I make it a habit to never read any fanfictions of series/game/whatever I´m currently writing for so that I don´t accidentally take anything from them.

NightmareSyndrom: Great idea with Ikas! I can´t confirm that or deny it at the moment, of course. ;) No, there will be no special appearance of Black Frost. I think all of you so far have the wrong idea about Jack Frost at the moment. That will be cleared up eventually. We get a first glimpse about how Naoto and Dojima found out about Social Links in chapter 6 when Dojima walks home from visiting Adachi. It will be thoroughly explained later in the story.

Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: Nah, there isn´t really gonna be any hardcore guy x guy action. I just like to make fun of Yosuke´s homophobic tendencies. ^^

Thank you for your reviews so far, everyone!

Oh yeah! I might have some surprise for you in a few days... maybe... ;)


	56. Chapter 56: Izanami's reaper

_**Chapter 56: Izanami´s reaper**_

Amused, the Shadow of Professor Yamagishi stared down at its unconscious original with flashing yellow eyes.

"How...? What...? Wow...!", Hiro was only able to stammer before he knelt down in front of the professor to try and lift her skirt.

WHACK!

The brown-haired pervert fell to the ground, unconscious, after having been hit by Naoto with her revolver.

"Thank you, Naoto.", Souji said and looked at Patty who was currently dragging her cousin towards his lounge. "If you´re finished with him, meet us at Yosuke´s lounge!", he shouted after her and stormed together with his friends towards the lounge that he, Teddie and Yosuke shared where said music-loving man sat on his bed and stared at the wall, cell phone in one hand, a beer bottle in the other.

"Yosuke-kun! That´s alcohol!", Yukiko shouted and tried to grab the bottle.

"Let go!", the man snarled and shoved her against the wall where she fell to the ground.

"Hey, you asshole!", Chie snapped at him and helped up her best friend.

"What the hell are you doing _here_! You should be at Professor Yamagishi´s office, not here!", Souji reprimanded Yosuke and took away the bottle.

"Hey, give that back!", Yosuke snarled and tried to hit Souji who only shoved him back to the bed. "Where did you even get this? The university doesn´t sell alcohol!"

"From Kanji´s lounge. He´s got tons of it in the fridge.", Yosuke slurred.

Naoto threw a disapproving glare at Kanji.

"Hey, I´m a guy! And real guys like ta drink alcohol!", Kanji defended himself.

Naoto snorted in disbelief.

"And what the hell are you even doing raiding my alcohol stash, Senpai!", Kanji continued to shout at Yosuke who merely ignored him and continued to stare at the wall.

"Yosuke! You can´t just go to your room while Professor Yamagishi´s lying on the ground in her office!", Souji started yelling at Yosuke again while Patty entered the lounge together with Ikas who was still a little bit wobbly on her feet.

"Don´t care...", Yosuke mumbled apathetically.

"You don´t care?", Naoto repeated in disbelief.

"My mother´s disappeared, okay! I don´t care about anything else at the moment, goddamnit!", Yosuke snapped at her.

"In case you have forgotten, Senpai, both my parents are dead, meaning I know very well how you feel! Don´t let it out on me!", Naoto snapped back.

"Hey, stop fighting already.", Rise tried to calm them down.

"You stay out of it!", Yosuke and Naoto yelled at her in unison.

"What did you even do after storming out of the ice skating hall like that?", Souji suddenly asked Yosuke.

"... Huh?"

"You just returned to Tanaba University and then locked yourself away in here while crying like a baby, or what?", Souji continued.

"... What are you talking about?", Yosuke asked, slightly angry. "I told Ikas to tell nobody but you about Yamagishi before I had stormed towards my lounge to grab my cell phone that I had forgotten to take with me! My dad doesn´t get on the phone if he doesn´t know who´s calling, you bastard!"

"Really?", Souji said, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, really!"

"You´ve been away quite often these last few months without anyone knowing where you are, Yosuke.", Souji began. "Where exactly are you going all the time?"

"None of your damn business!"

"Do you just not want to tell us or is it because you are going to expose yourself if you tell us?", Souji continued.

"What the hell...!", Yosuke shouted in fury and jumped up.

"Please s-stop suspecting Y-Y-Yosuke-san!", Ikas interfered timidly and and positioned herself between Yosuke and Souji, staring at the ground.

"Yes, indeed.", Naoto agreed. Souji looked at her in bewilderment. "Why should we continue to search for other suspects when it´s clear that you are the one who did this to Professor Yamagishi, Ito!"

"WH-WHAT?", Ikas shouted and then screeched when Yosuke grabbed her possessively.

"Stop it, Naoto! For the last time: She´s not the culprit!", he shouted.

"And I say she did it!", Naoto snapped back. "She had to sit through several hours of detention with Yamagishi-sensei which made her angry at the professor! Using the fact that today was a day off and that she was going to be all alone with the professor during detention to her advantage, she threw her in!"

"N-no, I would n-never-! What are y-you even tal-talking ab-abou-", Ikas started, looking really scared now.

"And stop your fake stuttering!", Naoto continued shouting and grabbed Ikas. "I want an explanation, and I want it _now_, Ito!"

"I... I-I... Let... Let me g-go...", Ikas stammered and tried to break free. The young detective strengthened her hold on her.

"You´re not going anywhere, Ito!"

"LET ME GO!", Ikas shouted as loud as she could. A gigantic wave of energy shot out of her body the next moment, throwing down nearly everyone in the room.

"Ow! What the hell...?", Kanji groaned from the floor.

"I always thought you´d see stars after something like that, but... I´m only seeing little bears right now...", Teddie said.

"I... Ikas...?", Yosuke who was the only one the energy wave hadn´t hit asked, staring at her like he couldn´t believe what he´d just seen. "Please... Please don´t tell me that you... that it´s really you who..."

"N... No...", Ikas started, seeming to be shocked by what she had done herself, and stared at the friends who started to stand up again. "No... I-I would n-never..." She stared at Patty who had crashed against the wall with her head that was now bleeding. "I... NO!" She jumped to the side when Souji and Kanji tried to grab her, shoved Teddie to the side, looked around in the room frantically and finally ran towards the TV, jumping into its screen.

Silence in the room.

"... She has just confirmed it herself.", Naoto eventually said and looked at Souji who hurriedly stormed into the kitchen to get the first-aid kit for Patty. "I´ve told you time and time again! If only you had listened to me, we could have prevented Professor Yamagishi from being the next victim!"

"What now? Should... Should we jump after her?", Chie asked.

"No! We don´t know where we might end up!", Teddie protested immediately.

"Yeah. Let´s just go back to Professor Yamagishi´s office and think about what to do with her before thinking about dealing with Ikas.", Souji agreed, applying a makeshift bandage to Patty´s head.

"There´s still something Teddie doesn´t get! Why did she choose that informatics woman instead of going after that Mitsubishi?", Teddie asked.

"Makushita...", Rise corrected her, Yukiko throwing a laughing fit next to her.

"Simple: You probably interpreted the hints wrong, Teddie.", Naoto said. "How exactly did the music you had heard sound?"

"Well... some clattering... and a beeping sound...", the Shadow said slowly.

"Ugh, I get it! The clattering was from a computer keyboard and the beeping was the computer itself!", Kou said immediately. "Why didn´t you describe the sounds back then instead of telling us about some music?"

"Sorry..."

"There´s no use yelling at each other now.", Souji admonished Kou.

"But what about the green and red light Teddie told us about?", Patty remembered.

"It´s what most computer have. Here´s the green light...", Naoto said and turned on Souji´s laptop. The Power Button emitted green. "... and here´s the red light..." She turned off the laptop. A red light flashed shortly from the Power Button. "Of course, some computers just have one colour."

"Oh..."

"H-hey, Yosuke...", Chie started and wanted to lay a hand on Yosuke´s shoulder who was still staring at the TV.

"Let me go!", he snapped, stood up and hurried towards the professor´s office.

~.~.~.~

Yukari Takeba who was currently on the roof of the old house she was living on for now ran as fast as possible, being pursued by someone who was constantly throwing elemental attacks at her.

"Damnit!", she snarled, about the throw away the evoker in her hand. _`Mitsuru-senpao had warned us that our ability to summon Personas would grow weaker and weaker the older we get, but why did it have to happen now of all times! ARGH!´_

"Come back here and let us have some fun, Yukari-chan!", she could hear pursuer laughing like a lunatic. "Man, why do chicks always have to run away from me? Makes me really mad, you know!" A Bufudyne attack nearly missed the brown-haired woman.

"Try flirting with someone else, freak! I´m not interested and I already have someone!", Yukari yelled at him.

"Hmm, I think I´ve changed my mind: I absolutely _love_ it when women play hard to get! Makes me really horny~!"

"UGH! Get lost!"

"Oh, come on, don´t be like that!", her pursuer chuckled. "We should just do it while you´re still slim and beautiful!"

"What are you talking about?", Yukari shouted, completely confused now, ran around the chimney and jumped down onto one of the many balconies.

"Oh, don´t worry, you´ll know what I´m talking about in a few months!", the other person replied, still following her. "There´s no mistaking that smell!"

"FREAK!"

~.~.~.~

The first thing Souji and his friends noticed when they entered Professor Yamagishi´s office was that the unconscious professor had gotten company, company that was now glaring at the students.

"A-Akihiko-san...", Naoto stammered when she saw the young director that was kneeling over Yamagishi´s body.

"We... We just wanted...", Souji tried to find a way out of this.

"`We just wanted´ what?", Akihiko replied with a gruff voice. "Don´t even try to talk your way outta this. That thing behind me is more than enough information." He motioned at Professor Yamagishi´s Shadow which was still on stage.

"Shit...", Kanji grumbled.

"Welcome to Fuuka´s _`Can you sacrifice it´_!", Shadow Fuuka proudly announced in the background, swinging the microphone in her hand back and forth. "In this ultra fantaaaastic show of mine you will witness how I am going to sacrifice myself for all the sins that humanity has committed to attain eternal peace for whole worl- Aaaww, just kidding~! It´s nothing pathetic like that! Who am I kidding! Hah! I just want attention, yes! The same attention he got back then! Give me attention! Come on! Come on!"

Seconds later a golden gate crashed down in front of the tower of demise, swallowing the giggling Shadow before driving up the tower, like an elevator. _`Memento mori´_ flashed at the screen for a second before the broadcast finally ended.

"What´s that?", Akihiko asked the others, still motioning at the TV.

"... It´s called a TV.", Souji said.

Akihiko made an annoyed sound. "It´s too late for those little games, Seta.", he said. "Judging by its appearance, I´d say that was a Shadow, right?"

"How...?", Chie started, but stopped immediately when Yukiko stomped on her foot.

"Yes, that was a Shadow.", Naoto hesitantly said.

"What the...? Naoto!", Kanji snapped at her.

"It´s the hidden self of a person, in this case of Professor Yamagishi.", Naoto continued as if Kanji had never interrupted her.

"I see.", Akihiko said and stood up. "Just like his Shadow back then..."

"His Shadow?", Patty asked, but Akihiko ignored her.

"And if it´s then same thing, that means that Fuuka´s already-"

"No, she´s still alive.", Souji said. "The Shadow has her soul. As long as we can get that back, everything´s gonna be alright."

Akihiko stared at Fuuka again. "Got it..."

"Akihiko-san, who are you really?", Naoto suddenly asked.

Akihiko sighed loudly. "I´m a member of S.E.E.S., an organization that fights Shadows.", he said, drew a revolver and held it against his temple.

"FUCKING HELL! STOP IT!", Kanji yelled and stormed together with the other men and Naoto forward to stop him.

Yukiko and Rise closed their eyes in horror.

"Not on the beautiful carpet!", Patty screeched. Everyone present in the room just stared at her in disbelief. "Uh... Just... ignore me..."

"CAESAR!" There was a loud _BANG_when Akihiko pulled the trigger, followed by a sparkling blue light, before a grey-white Persona appeared above Akihiko, a sword in one hand, a globe in the other.

"A... Persona...", Yosuke stammered, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Akihiko suddenly stared at him. "Wh-what?"

"... Nothing... You just sound like someone I... Forget it!", Akihiko answered, his eyes lingering on the MP3 player that was hanging around Yosuke shoulders for a few seconds.

"What exactly is that?", Naoto suddenly asked, huge eyed, and pointed at the revolver. The rest of the group was still too shocked to see a Persona in their world to say anything.

"This is what we call an _`Evoker´_. Or in this case _`Neo Evoker´_.", Akihiko explained.

"Evoker...? Neo Evoker...? Hä?", Chie said, not understanding anything.

Yukiko sat down on Professor Yamagishi´s working chair, still trying to register what had happened just now.

"Evokers a revolver-like instruments that allow a person who has the _`Potential´_to summon a Persona.", Akihiko explained patiently. "The Potential becomes weaker and weaker the older a human gets, so the Neo Evokers were invented, enabling people to use their Potential to the fullest until it´s completely vanished."

"Ooo... kaaaaay...", Kanji only said, a big question mark over his head.

"What does _`Potential´_ mean?", Patty wanted to know.

Akihiko sighed. "Okay, this is turning into a game of 20 questions.", he said and turned towards the TV. "We´ve got more than enough time to talk about it some more later. Fuuka´s more important right now!"

"Right.", Souji agreed.

"So, how exactly do we get to the location that was shown in the TV?", Akihiko asked.

"... `We´?", Kou repeated.

"Yeah, `we´."

"But-", Yukiko started.

"Do I look like I can´t handle some Shadows?", Akihiko interrupted her and looked at his Persona.

"Of course not!", Rise said. She didn´t even need her Persona Himiko to know that Akihiko´s Persona was in its final stage, thus being much stronger than her friends´ Personas.

"So what are you waiting for? Let´s go!", the young director said impatiently.

"... Senpai?", Rise asked and looked at Souji for help.

"Taking him with us can only be to our advantage.", Souji finally said, locked the office door behind and walked towards Akihiko. "Ready, Akihiko-san?"

"I´ve been ready!", came the reply, followed by a choked scream when Souji grabbed him and dragged him into the TV.

~.~.~.~

Slightly annoyed and chewing on the straw of her drink, Chidori Yoshino sat in a family restaurant, her date more than late.

"Nearly half an hour...", the redhead mumbled in anger. She had already suspected that she should have never agreed to this meeting! She didn´t even know the man! It had been really foolish of her to accept that invitation!

And yet still...

"I know about your past...", she cited the most interesting sentence of the letter she had received about a week ago. _`My past... I´d really like to know about that...´_

The only memories Chidori had of her childhood were her name and being surrounded by white. Nothing more.

It had been a huge shock for her to wake up some day in the hospital of Tatsumi Port Island, surrounded by people she didn´t know...

_`Okay, five more minutes and I´ll-´_ But she didn´t get to finish that thought since a stranger who had entered the restaurant seconds ago had just now sat down at her table, smiling at her.

"Um...", Chidori started.

"You look just like I remember you, Chidori.", the man said, still smiling.

"So you really know me?", Chidori asked, the man´s smile slightly disturbing. But she was too excited about finally meeting someone who knew about her past to really care.

"But of course, Chidori!", the far too thin man with long hair said. "Now, does the term _`Dark Hour_´ ring a bell?"

~.~.~.~

Fog, fog, nothing but fog greeted Akihiko when he had finally managed to stand up after that rather rough landing.

"What the...? Where are we?", he asked, being able to barely make out the others in all that fog.

"In the TV world.", Teddie explained.

"TV world?"

"Yep."

"Okay... And how the hell are we supposed to find our way through this fog?", the young director asked.

"Oh, that´s right. You don´t have any glasses.", Naoto remembered.

"Teddie, you don´t have any spare ones by chance, do you?", Souji asked the blond Shadow.

"Hmm... No- Oh, yes! I still got the ones Patty-chan didn´t want!", the Shadow replied and took out the pink glasses.

"Eww! You still got that monstrosity?", Patty said and wrinkled her nose while putting on her dark blue glasses.

"Of course! You don´t just throw things away that are still perfectly fine!", Teddie pouted and gave the glasses to Akihiko who stared at them with disgust before putting them on begrudgingly. The fog cleared a bit for him.

"Whoa! Yes, this way we might be able to find our way!", he said.

"Strange...", Naoto mumbled, looking around.

"Hmm?"

"Usually, the fog nearly disappeares entirely when wearing those glasses.", Souji explained. "But... this time it´s still rather foggy, even with the glasses."

"I had already felt that it had gotten foggier when we´d been investigating Patty´s dungeon.", Rise remembered, having already summoned her Persona to search for Fuuka.

"And what could be the reason for that?", Akihiko asked while letting his gaze wander through this unknown world.

"No idea. We ain´t that far in knowin´ stuff 'bout this world.", Kanji answered.

Rise´s Persona Himiko disappeared again.

"And? Where is she?", Souji asked, but Rise only shook her head.

"I... can´t find her.", the teenie idol said.

"Uh-oh...", Yosuke said.

"Teddie, can you smell her perhaps?", Chie asked.

"Nope. I don´t know this Fuckya that well for that.", Teddie said.

"Fuuka...", Chie corrected him. "Thank god Yukiko´s not here or she´d be rolling around the floor all day by now..."

"And what now?", Akihiko asked, but was met with helpless gazes. "Oh, brother..."

"Well...", Rise suddenly said. "I can´t feel Yamagishi-sensei, but..."

"But?", Patty asked.

"I can feel somebody else. It´s the same strange presence I´ve felt in Kou´s dungeon and that scary arena so far."

"Strange presence?", Akihiko repeated.

"Unfortunately, we don´t know either who or what it is. But Kujikawa has felt this presence several times now.", Naoto explained.

"What if it´s the culprit?", Akihiko suggested.

"Uh, well...", Rise said.

"Now that you mention it, Ito _did_jump into the TV world a while ago.", Naoto said.

"Ito? Isn´t that this really shy girl?", Akihiko asked, puzzled. "_She_ is supposed to be the culprit?"

"Well, she´s fled into the TV world when we´d tried to interrogate her.", Yosuke said to everyone´s surprise.

"Should... Should we go after that presence, then?", Rise asked, unsure.

Souji nodded. "If you can show us the way, yes."

"Oh, finding the place isn´t that hard.", Rise said. "The presence´s currently at that ominous room where Mayumi Yamano had been killed."

"WHAT?"

~.~.~.~

"Uuugh...", Hiro groaned when he regained unconsciousness and slowly sat up in his bed. "Fuck! That sure hurt..." He looked around and realized that he was in his lounge. "Huh? But how did I...?", he mumbled, his expression suddenly turning rather evil as he jumped up and stormed outside where he ran into Mr. Bagman. "Ugh!"

"How dare you!", the old professor snapped, having managed not to fall to the ground by clinging to his cane as best as he could.

"Ah, sorry, Baggy, old fart!", Hiro chuckled and continued to run towards Professor Yamagishi´s office.

"BAGGY!", Mr. Bagman shouted after the brown-haired man in anger. "Hmph! One of these days I´ll make sure that you stop smiling, my dear."

~.~.~.~

"What? What? WHAT?", Yosuke screeched when they finally reached the place where the building that led to the ominous room stood, looking into the face of a person they knew all to well standing in front of said building and applauding them.

"Bravo! Bravo!", Tohru Adachi who was standing at the entrance laughed in amusement. "I was wondering when you slow coaches would finally reach me!"

"Tohru Adachi!", Akihiko who had followed the man´s case through the media shouted.

"Oh my, I see you´ve increased your pathetic bunch even more!", the former detective said. "`Quality over quantity´: Ever heard of that?"

"... Rise?", Souji said and looked at the teenie idol.

"Yeah.", she said, nodding. "This is the presence I´ve felt. But... he doesn´t feel like Adachi at all."

Souji stared at Adachi again who still grinning like a lunatic. "What are you doing here?", he asked the man. "Are you working together with Ikas?"

"Who the hell is Ikas?", Adachi replied before it dawned on him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Seta-kun, did you join the `Speak everything backwards Club´ or something? Don´t you mean `Saki´? That way it makes more sense, don´t it?"

"Grrr...", Naoto grumbled, annoyed that the man had gotten it so quickly while they had needed two months to realize it.

"And if she´s the one you´re talking about, then you should really have someone check that little brain of yours! Saki´s deader than dead, you know!", Adachi continued.

"Shut up!", Yosuke growled.

"Ooooh, still madly in love with that bitch, Hanamura? Come on, she didn´t even look that good!", Adachi cackled.

"FUCK IT! YOU´RE GOING DOWN, BASTARD!", Yosuke yelled and jumped at the former detective.

"Yosuke! No!", Souji shouted, but Yosuke didn´t listen to him.

"Idiot...", Adachi snarled and dissipated into black material seconds before Yosuke´s fist would have hit his face.

"What?", Yosuke and the others shouted in surprise, Adachi re-materializing and kicking Yosuke against the house wall.

"Don´t even think about it, loser!", Adachi chuckled, his eyes sparkling yellow. "I had a lot of time since our last battle. You won´t be able to defeat me again."

"Sukuna-Hikona!", Naoto yelled, summoning her Persona.

"Naoto?", Kou asked, confused.

"Adachi-san is a convicted criminal! We have got to get him back to prison!", Naoto simply explained while throwing an almighty attack at Adachi who simply dodged it the same way he had dodged Yosuke´s attack.

"You´re right!", Akihiko agreed and pointed the Neo Evoker at his temple. "CAESAR!" Nothing happened. "Wh-what?"

"Ah hah hah hah! What kinda loser is that supposed to be?", Adachi laughed while dodging several attacks of the other Personas.

"CAESAR!", Akihiko shouted anew, but his Persona didn´t appear. "But how...?"

"Let´s just spare you the embarrassment and send you into dream land, alright?", Adachi yelled and threw the Zio attack that Kanji had aimed at him towards Akihiko who jumped to the side just in time, the attack hitting Patty instead. Crying out in pain, the red-heard was thrown against the house wall, not standing up again.

"Patty-chan!", Teddie shouted in horror and wanted to help her.

"You´re not going to heal her, fur ball!", Adachi snarled and hit the Shadow with a Megidola attack.

"What? He can use attacks just like that?", Chie said in surprise, her Persona not being to able to hit Adachi even once.

"Oh, but of course! And I can do so much more, Satonaka! But trying to explain that to you would just make your far too small brain explode, I´m afraid!", Adachi replied while dodging one attack after another with ease. "Would you stop attacking now? It´s futile anyway! I don´t have all day, you know!" More attacks followed. "Do you want to save the kidnapped person or not?"

"What?", Naoto said, puzzled, and stopped her attack.

" 'course we do, but you´re goin´ down first, asshole!", Kanji barked, his Persona trying to score a hit with his thunder-like weapon.

"No, Tatsumi! Stop!", Naoto shouted.

Adachi dodged again, but nearly the same moment a Bufu attack from Teddie who managed to stand up again hit him. The attack hit the former detective, the ice shattering and the shards causing deep cuts.

"Guh!", Adachi groaned, one of the shards having hit his carotid artery by accident, and fell to the ground, blood dripping everywhere.

"I... think we´ve went too far...", Chie said, voice slightly shaky now, while Teddie hurried over to Patty to heal her.

"Is... Is he... dead?", Patty asked, face pale.

"Just great!", Naoto snapped at Kanji. "Didn´t you hear him talking about `that kidnapped person´! He knew something!"

"... Sor-", Kanji started, but jumped back in horror when he heard Adachi groaning.

"Hnngh... Damn, that really hurt...", he grumbled, wounds suddenly healed again as if nothing had ever happened. He stood up and grinned at the friends. "I already told you: It´s impossible fore you to defeat me."

"You...!", Kanji snarled, but stopped when Souji held up a hand in warning.

"I ask you again: What are you doing here?", the silver-haired asked Adachi, trying to sound calm.

"Oh, this and that.", Adachi shrugged. "Experiencing fun adventures in this world, chasing hot dates over roof tops, breaking pillars..."

"So it was you who had destroyed those pillars in Patty´s dungeon.", Naoto said.

"Of course it was me!", Adachi laughed. "You children are far too dumb to solve such an easy puzzle!"

Kanji snarled in anger.

"Th-thank you.", Patty said.

"Huh?" Adachi look at her contemptuously.

"If it weren´t for you, I might have been dead by now.", Patty explained. "Thank you."

"Oh, nothing to it!", Adachi said and smiled like a pervert. "Oh, I know! Why don´t you and I go to one of those rooms! You can show me there how grateful you are with that sweet little mouth of yours!"

Patty stepped back a bit in horror.

"Hah! Not so grateful anymore, are we!", Adachi cackled. "You´re just like that Kashiwagi: One huuuge cock tease! Getting my hopes up like that at this stupid prom and then running away! Hmph!"

"It was reall you I felt each time?", Rise asked him.

"Yes, that right´s, Kujikawa. Looking sluttly as usual, I see.", Adachi replied.

"But we wasn´t I able to tell it´s you?", Rise asked, opting to ignore the comment. "You feel like Adachi, but at the same time you don´t. I don´t understand!"

"It´s because this is not really me, but my Shadow." His eyes sparkled yellow once again, a dark aura appearing around his body.

"Your Shadow? But we´d defeated that one years ago.", Chie said.

"First, Shadows never really die, Satonaka.", Adachi replied with a rather annoyed voice. "They merely disappear into the voice for a while before returning after having been healed completely."

"What?", Naoto said. "So in other words, fighting against Shadows is absolutely meaningless?"

"Yes and no.", Adachi said. "A Shadow can only been reborn anew as long as its original is still alive. If the original is dead, the Shadow dies forever as well if it´s killed."

"But all of those Shadows in this TV world... They´ve already killed their originals... didn´t they?", Patty asked.

"Hah ha hah!", Adachi laughed. "You brats really don´t have any idea about this world, do you?"

"But you do, huh!", Yosuke snarled.

"Yes, I do, indeed, Hanamura.", Adachi agreed, nodding. "But before I get to that topic, let me finish answering Satonaka´s question first: Second, you´d defeated Ameno-sagiri back then, not my Shadow. Third, start dressing like a woman already or you´ll never get a man, Satonaka!"

Chie and Kou looked like they were ready to tear him apart.

"So you´re not the real Adachi, but his Shadow?", Akihiko asked.

"No, no, no! I am the true Adachi.", the former detective answered and was met with confused stares. He sighed in annoyance. "I really dislike giving explanations like that, but whatever... Let me try it like this: My Shadow and I are in perfect harmony, something that´s usually never the case. This harmony let to the creation of some kind of link between me and my Shadow."

"A link?", Souji repeated.

"Shut your trap while I´m talking, Seta!", Adachi snapped at him. "Anyway, this link allows me to act as my Shadow in this world as soon as I fall asleep in the human world. Convenient, isn´t it? And there´s nothing that could happen to me: As long as the original - my body currently sleeping in the human world - doesn´t die, I will regenerate as a Shadow time and time again. So there´s absolutely no chance for you to defeat me, brats."

"What about your promise to follow our world´s rules?", Naoto replied.

"Oh, but I do follow them! My body´s never left the prison for even one seconds! It´s my Shadow roaming around, not me!", Adachi countered in amusement. Naoto only grumbled.

"So what is this world exactly?", Souji asked.

"Aren´t we impatient.", Adachi said. "But I guess I´ll be nice for once. To make it short: This world was once the cradle of all life before the gods opened the gates and let humans enter their realm."

Silence.

"... Huh?", Kanji said, not understanding anything.

"Ugh! Can´t you even get simple explanations like that, dumb ass!", Adachi groaned. "Okay, okay, then it´s time for a more detailed explanation for those of you that apparently got no brains: This was once the world where all life had started. Humans had lived her thousands of years ago."

"Here? In this world? I can bearly imagine that! There´s nothing but fog in here!", Teddie protested.

"And why do you think is that?", Adachi said. "Just take a look at our current world: Woods are being destroyed, there´s one climatic crisis after another, violence everywhere! And whose fault is that? Yes, you´ve guessed it, we humans!" He let his gaze wander through the foggy world. "Just like what happened with this world. We humans had wreaked havoc upon it until it had become like this. The fewer resources there was, the more wars started to settle who would get the remaining ones, and eventually the world was poisoned by hatred, fear, violence and all those chemical substances that had been used in wars that Shadows started to take on physical appearance and started hunting humans." He started grinning. "Must have been a fun time."

"But something happened, right?", Naoto asked.

"Something happened, indeed.", Adachi continued. "In their despair the remaining humans turned to the gods they had ignored for so long, or rather one goddess, as I´ve been informed recently: The goddess of night Nyx."

Akihiko made a choking noise.

"Nyx is a being that´s neither evil nor good. Its only purpose is to fullfil humanity´s wishes, nearly the same way Izanami had acted.", Adachi said. "Hearing humanity´s cries of help, Nyx opened the gate that led into the gods´ realm where the remaining humans fled to while the Shadows stayed in this world. And they destroyed happily ever after!"

"Huh?", Chie looked at him in confusion.

"Well, there´s no happy ending after all.", Adachi explained, shrugging. "We humans didn´t learn anything in all those years. We´re about to let the same thing that happened to our old world happen to our current one. Izanami had showed us back then what we deserve."

"Death.", Naoto said.

"That is correct.", Adachi said. "If we beg for Nyx´ salvation again, it won´t be another new world we´re gonna receive, no."

"It´s going to try and kill us all instead.", Akihiko added.

"Akihiko-san...?", Naoto asked, puzzled.

"Oh, I see there´s someone who´s experienced the Fall among you.", Adachi said, staring at Akihiko who nodded.

"The Fall?", Kou asked.

"... Another time.", Akihiko only said, face pale.

Souji stared at Adachi once again. "And what about all the fog in here?", he asked.

"This world that has been branded and manipulated by humanity this violently is now - with the help of the Shadows, our true faces - mirroring humanity´s hearts.", Adachi answered. "We all lock our hearts against other people, want that people don´t think badly about us. We mask facts about us. And this masking is shown in this world as the fog.

You had managed to defeat Izanami years ago and were able to lift the veil for a short time, but in the end it´s a waste of effort: Humanity´s hearts will continue to work the same way, meaning this world will always be shrouded in fog. By killing Izanami who had reigned over this world you have made things even worse: Now there is nobody remaining that can hold the Shadows back."

"What do you mean?", Naoto asked.

"Well, Izanami had the Shadows under her control to a certain extent, as already mentioned. It was her that decided whether Shadows are allowed to attack or not. It was her that had decided to merge the two worlds six years ago. And it was her that had stopped that process shortly before her death, after you had managed to convince her from dropping her plan.", Adachi explained. "Now that she´s not here anymore, the Shadows are held back by nobody. Should there ever be a pathway to our world, they will start praying upon humanity until everbody´s dead or until humanity starts crying for Nyx who will kill us all."

"But without Izanami there´s no way a pathway could ever be opened, right?", Patty opined.

Adachi grinned. "Look around you. Don´t realize how thick the fog´s gotten?", he said. "The more people are kidnapped, the more places start appearing and the bigger this world getsThe bigger this world gets, the thicker the fog becomes. There will be more and more fog."

"So that´s why the glasses aren´t really helping anymore...", Teddie mumbled.

"There´s also limit to how much biger this world can become.", Adachi continued. "Back when I had created Magatsu Inaba, this world had been rather stuffed. Are you able to guess what´ll happen if more people are kidnapped?"

"This world will be swelling more and more since more and more places start to appear, until it finally bursts.", Naoto reasoned.

"Correct.", Adachi said. "In other words, all of those cute little Shadows will enter our world. End of the line."

"Shit...", Kanji only said.

"`Shit´, indeed, Tatsumi.", Adachi agreed. "Though I could care less. I think we´re better of dead."

"So that´s what Ito probably wants...", Naoto said. The others looked at her questioningly. "She doesn´t particularly care about the victims. The only thing she wants is that the TV world eventually bursts."

"Who´s Ito?", Adachi asked.

"The culprit.", Naoto said. "I assume it´s Saki-senpai´s Shadow."

"Konishi´s Shadow?", Adachi repeated and closed his eyes. "Nope. Can´t feel her."

"You can still feel things with all this fog?", Rise asked.

"I´m currently a Shadow. This fog is pure bliss to me."

"And why can´t Teddie feel things like that?", Teddie asked.

"Because you´ve become too human, that´s why."

"So it would seem that Ito is already back in our world...", Naoto mumbled, lost in thought.

"But...", Yosuke suddenly started. "I mean, can´t another god just help us now that Izanami´s dead and Nyx doesn´t want to help us anymore? This world we´re currently living in is the realm of the gods, right? There has to be more of them!"

"Of course there are more of them, Hanamura.", Adachi said. "They´re all hiding like Izanami had done. They could be anything: Teachers, mechanics, estate agents...

But they won´t help us. Izanami and Nyx are the only deities that had the task of fulfilling our wishes, and even those two had tried to help us by killing us. What do you think those other gods will do?" The others swallowed. "Thought so. Any other questions?"

"How do you know all this stuff about the TV world?", Souji asked.

"Well, you certainly learn one or two things by wandering around here as a Shadow, Seta.", Adachi answered. "I´ve learned the rest from a good friend of mine in prison. Something else?"

The other shook their heads.

"Not for now, no.", Naoto said.

"Finally! So can we start searching for the kidnapped person now?"

"Huh?", Souji and some of the others said.

"Well, Kujikawa can´t sense the person with all that fog, right? She was only able to sense me, because I had wanted her to and spread my aura all around this area. You need me."

"Why exactly should we take _you of all people _with us?", Souji said.

"Hmm... You´re right. Have fun wandering through that fog, kids.", Adachi said and turned to go.

"Okay, I got you! We need your help!", Souji hurriedly said.

"Good boy.", Adachi chuckled. "I´m sure we´ll be _best_ friends in no time!"

"Thou art I... And I am thou...", the voice in Souji´s head suddenly began to speak and an unknown tarot card appeared before the now shocked-looking silver-haired´s eyes. "Thou hast established a new bond... It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Aeon Arcana..."

He felt a comforting warmth in his heart, announcing the establishment of the Social Link. Startled, he noticed how Adachi was looking at him.

_`He knows!´_, Souji thought. _`He knows about Social Links!´_

"Okay, move it! Move it!", Adachi suddenly snapped and started moving. "And don´t you even dare get lost on our way! I´m not going back to search for you brats! Your own stupidity´s fault then!"

Grumbling, the friends followed the former detective, not noticing the person that had been watching them the entire time from one of the building´s windows, the person´s gaze lingering on Yosuke.

~.~.~.~

Author´s notes: I think it´s the longest chapter so far. *scratch*

Also, I didn´t think up that stuff about the Potential getting weaker the older one gets. Akihiko states this in the Persona anime and is not able to summon his Persona anymore in it.

I also like how some of you are arguing about Yosuke´s mother. It´s exactly what I had wanted~.

Adachi is Izanami´s reaper, of course. ;)

Goddess of Discord and Heaven: It´s something that´s often used in stories: You´re not actually supposed to fully get it until it is later explained in the story. The Harry Potter books (no, I´m not comparing my shit pile to Harry Potter; I´m just using a popular book as an example) often use this method.

cncgamefan: Just because Siegfried was strong in P4, doesn´t mean that he always has to be that strong. Take a look at the Persona Kohryu as an example: It was uber in P3, but only meh in P4. Kou´s final Persona will be Zaou-Gongen which tops Siegfried in stength.

Trickymander: This is the TV world. If there is something you´re hiding and you´re not able to use the Wild Card, your Shadow will come out. There´s also more to it that will be explained later.

Coldman9: The crossover has already started this chapter, but yes, after Fuuka´s dungeon things between P3 and P4 will starting to mix more and more.

As always, thank you very much for your reviews, everyone!


	57. Chapter 57: Tartarus

_**Chapter 57: Tartarus**_

Warning: I FOUND A REALLY STUPID MISTAKE IN THE LAST CHAPTER! In that chapter Souji drags Akihiko to the destroyed TV in Fuuka´s office which is WRONG! Just change that to Souji dragging Akihiko to the TV in Naoto´s lounge while Yukiko locks herself in Fuuka´s office.

Okay, on with the chapter!

~.~.~.~

Finally he managed to open the door to Professor Yamagishi´s office and hurried inside, storing away the lock pick in his trouser pocket.

_`Okay, this time for sure...´_, he thought while looking around the room. _`Where could she...?´_

"Hiro?"

Startled, the brown-haired man jumped up in horror and looked around the room with huge eyes. Yukiko was sitting on the floor, the unconscious professor´s head lying in her lap.

"O-oh, Y-Yuki-chan! Wha-what are you doing here?", Hiro stammered, a goofy smile imediately adorning his face.

"What are _you_doing here?", Yukiko asked in return.

"We-well, when I regained consciousness - how did I even faint in the first place? - I remembered that poor Professor Yamagishi was lying here motionless! So I wanted to see if she´s alright!", Hiro explained and threw hasty looks at the professor´s working table. _`Where is it...´_"How´s Yamagishi-sensei? And where are the others?"

"... She only seems to be unconscious. A-and the others are currently looking for Sanada-san and Yoshino-san.", Yukiko lied.

"All of them at once?", Hiro asked, continuing to let his gaze wander through the room, as if searching something.

"Y-yes, this university is sooo big, they just had to split up in their search.", Yukiko said, sweat starting to form on her forehead.

"O-okay, if you´re sure tha-that she´s alright...", Hiro said.

"Yes, I´m sure. We´ll take care of it, Hiro-kun.", Yukiko assured him.

"Then... Then I´ll be... be going back to my lounge...", Hiro said and hurriedly left the office, his face turning angry now. _`Why did she have to be in the office! Shit!´_

~.~.~.~

The further the friends followed the former detective Adachi through the fog of the TV world the darker the environment got, and the darker it got the more oppressive the air around them seemed to be.

Yosuke panted a bit while wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Hey, you´re not trying to lure us into a trap or something like that, are you?", he asked Adachi, this oppressive feeling giving him the creeps.

Adachi made a sound that was half condescending, half amused and continued to walk. "Don´t you trust me, Hanamura?"

"Of course not!", was the immediate answer.

"Very good. But at the moment you don´t have any other choice. Kujikawa can only be used as a pretty arm candy, it seems.", Adachi taunted.

"And why are you even helping us? According to you, humanity would be better off dead.", Naoto mixed in, using her hat to fan air at her face.

"You have a very good memory, Shirogane. But as I had already written in my letter years ago, I´ve decided to follow our world´s laws. `Protect the poor and weak´, wasn´t it?"

"Hmph..." Chie threw a glance at Akihiko - the only one of the group who didn´t seem to mind this strange atmosphere at all - who was still pointing his Neo Evoker at his temple from time to time. "Still no luck?", she asked him.

"No, unfornately not.", the young director sighed. "I just don´t get it. An hour ago or so it had still been working."

"We´d been in our world at that time.", Naoto reminded him.

"Huh?"

"Maybe, just maybe, the way the way things work here prevents you from summoning Personas like that.", the young detective continued. "Just think about it: We can´t summon Personas in our world with our method, but you can. Maybe it´s the other way around in this world."

"Hmm..." Akihiko stared at his Evoker in thought. "So Fuuka´s in even more danger than I thought if she can´t summon her Persona..."

"Yamagishi-sensei also belongs to this organization, doesn´t she?", Souji asked.

"Yes. Her Personas not battle-oriented, though.", Akihiko asked.

"But ain´t that strange? Her Shadow shoulda stayed quiet then.", Kanji asked, having been rather silent since their talk with Adachi, his gaze lingering on Naoto.

"Not if there are things she´s oppressing with all her might.", Souji argued. "Yukiko´s Shadow´s appeared again as well."

"Furthermore, it all seems rather forced.", Naoto added. The other looked at her questioningly. "Well, back then in Inaba the Shadow of a kidnapped person only appeared hours after that person had been wandering around in the TV world. This time the Shadow appears even before the victim´s soul is captured and thrown into the TV world. Ito has to have some power to force out people´s Shadows."

"So it´s like she can command the Shadows, eh?", Adachi said. "Seems like that Shadow brat thinks she´s the new Izanami."

"That´s right. Izanami had been the last one to control the Shadows of this world...", Naoto remembered. "So... Does this mean-"

"What the...?", Kanji suddenly shouted, and Naoto looked up: A huge school building had suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Isn´t that... Gekkoukan High School?", Rise asked the others.

"Yes, it is. But how do you know about it?"

"We´ve visited it during a school trip.", Kou explained. "How do _you_ know about it?"

"Me, S.E.E.S. and the rest of our organization had been enrolled there."

"So this is Yamagishi-sensei´s dungeon?", Souji asked Adachi who nodded.

"Why should her old school be created from her thoughts and wishes?", Yosuke wondered while they continued to walk towards the building.

Akihiko was looking around, wondering the same thing, but froze when he saw the green moon looming over the building. "Don´t panic when you reach the school gate!", he warned the others.

"Why should we pa-", Yosuke asked, one foot at the gate already, and jumped up screeching in horror when the school building started to take on a new form. "HOLY SHIT!", Yosuke cried and jumped in Chie´s arms, the brunette kicking him to the side in annoyance.

"Tar... Tartarus...", Akihiko stammered, eyes huge, and watched the building separate into several floors, germinate into all possible and impossible directions, growing larger and larger.

"Tartarus...? Sounds like toothpaste.", Yosuke opined, still shaking slightly. Akihiko stared at him. "... What?"

"... I really have to introduce you to someone. You two would be best friends in no time.", Akihiko only said.

"What does `Tartarus´ mean, anyway?", Yosuke asked, ignoring Akihiko.

"Tartarus: A place where, according to Greek Mythology, criminals where thrown in and tortured. This place lies even further down in the world´s abyss than Hades. They say it could even be the world´s deepest point.", Naoto explained.

"Very fitting description for that place." Akihiko said.

"You know Tartarus?", Patty asked.

"... Yes. More than enough.", he answered, still staring at the gigantic and strangely formed building. "As I´ve already said, we´ll discuss that later. Let´s go!"

Souji nodded and continued onwards.

"Oh, and one more thing! This oppressing aura originates from this place so stay cautious!"

~.~.~.~

There was a loud albeit short outcry to be heard in Japan´s canalization. Rats were fleeing from the source of the scream in panic while the water near it was starting to turn crimson.

"It´s your own fault, little one.", Mr. Bagman said with a rather impassive glance at the little boy he was kneeling over, having just destroyed the child´s vocal cords. "If you´d just stayed quiet, you wouldn´t have had to suffer _this_ much. But you just had to be such a bad boy and scream! Well, I never!" He grabbed the boy´s shorts and ripped them off. "I´ll promise to be gentle~..." He knelt further over the defenseless child that was trying to scream for his parents in vain. The hot breath of the old man invaded his nervous system, he felt disgusted, not able to understand what the stranger wanted from him.

_`Mama...´_

"Is it really that fun?", someone suddenly said, making Mr. Bagman and the boy look up.

"... Oh, it´s just you.", Mr. Bagman said, barely able to recognize the intruder in the darkness, and turned back to the boy.

"Do you have to do that with me present?", the person asked, disgusted.

"Then turn around, my dear.", Mr. Bagman replied uninterestedly.

"You´ve changed, old man. Usually, you would have enjoyed to hear your victim´s cries."

Mr. Bagman stopped again and stared back at the person. His gaze was rather tired, making him look even older than usual. "... This task has gotten rather dull and exhausting.", he finally answered after a few seconds and sighed deeply.

"Hmm..." The other person threw a ball of pure energy at the old professor which was blocked by the man´s barrier immediately. "Niiice, old man! You´re getting close to your own death, but your shield´s still as strong as ever!"

"... Death?", Mr. Bagman repeated spiritless.

"It seems like it.", the other person said. "Shadows belong into the other world, not this one. The longer you stay here the weaker you´ll get."

"Hmph..."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn and cling tho that girl in the first place, you fool! I just don´t get you!", the other person snarled. "Why can´t you just side with us?"

"... It is really noble of you to worry about me like that, my child, but... shouldn´t you be rather worried about you?", Mr. Bagman replied.

"Oh, you don´t have to worry about me, Baggy.", the other person laughed, amused. "Those idiots gathered around the Fool have their suspect now. Not much more to go and they´ll stumble into my trap."

"Hmph... Maybe you´ll stumble into your trap.", Mr. Bagman said. "But let´s not talk about that. I´d rather like to know why you had to kill Professor Fujibayaki! She was a very ambitious professor, you know. That really wasn´t nice of you!"

"She saw me.", was the simple answer.

"I see. Poor woman.", Mr. Bagman sighed. "Because of you and your little temper tantrum that day I had been in quite a bind. I had been absent when that had happened. Fortunately, I had realized quickly enough what had happened and managed to fake unconsciousness in one of the amphitheatres."

"And hurt yourself in the process?", the other person asked. "You´ve been hurt all over that day, old man."

"Oh no, those wounds were from my little excursion.", Mr. Bagman explained.

"Oh? So there´s someone who can destroy your shield? ... How very interesting!"

"It was an interesting encounter, indeed.", the old professor agreed.

"It seems you won´t get what you desire so easily, after all!", the other person laughed.

"... The same goes for you, my dear."

"My task would have been long finished by now if you´d just done what I wanted you to do!", the person snarled.

"Well, I´m sorry to have ruined your plans.", Mr. Bagman, grinning slightly in satisfaction.

"Old fart! Why did you even have to kill your original that night! Why couldn´t you just steal his soul, like planned!", the other person yelled.

"Simple: You lost control over the situation.", the old professor answered. "You need to concentrate as much as possible to control power like that, don´t you? You just weren´t able to concentrate enough at that time, my child. You should have just waited, like they had told you to."

"As if I would listen to someone else!"

"Just like I won´t listen to your orders.", the old man chuckled. "No, I will rather spend the rest of my time trying to fulfill my original´s last wishes..."

"... Then why don´t you just tell them?"

"I beg your pardon?", Mr. Bagman asked, slightly confused.

"You could just tell Seta and his friends who the culprit is, you know. I´ve been wondering about that for some time now: You want to stop me, you´re constantly giving hints to those idiots, but you never tell them my identity. Why?"

Mr. Bagman grinned. "Yes, indeed, that´s a good question.", he admitted. "But answering it is rather easy: Even though I aim to stop you and make Miki happy, at the core I am a Shadow. And Shadows should support other Shadows, not humans. Those two desires - fulfilling my original´s wishes and helping another Shadow - are at war, resulting in me only giving hints, but never telling them your true identity. And also..."

"And also?", the person repeated.

"And also, Seta and his friends will have to fight me someday. They´ll be my enemies once all preparations are done and I have Nanako Dojima.", Mr. Bagman ended his sentence. "So could you please return to university now. I still have things to do..." Mr. Bagman turned around to the boy, realizing that said boy had already bled to death during their conversation.

"Well, tough luck, old fart!", the other person cackled and disappeared into the ground.

"Hmph! You´re just as annoying as that other brat, my child!", Mr. Bagman grumbled and, stood up with a slight groan and hurriedly grabbed his cane like it was his life-line. "Hmph... Baggy... How very rude!"

~.~.~.~

The atmosphere inside the gigantic tower was even more oppressing.

"Ugh! There´s no way I can stay more than five minutes in here!", Yosuke groaned and threw a jealous glance at Akihiko who seemed to be used to this atmosphere, and Adachi, his Shadow body making him feel like he was in heaven.

"I just hope Fuuka´s not at the top. We´ll never get there like this.", Akihiko said while walking through the entrance hall, a rather steep staircase in the center leading to the next floor.

"How many floors does this tower have?", Souji asked, his gaze lingering at the shimmering blue door to their left that nobody but him seemed to notice.

"More than 200 floors."

"More than 200 floors? We´ll never get there in time!", Kou shouted.

"Well, we do have time until the fog sets in, but still... that´s too much...", Naoto agreed.

"Fog...?", Akihiko asked, puzzled.

"When it gets foggy in our world, the fog lifts on this side. The Shadows go beserk then. In other words, you have time until then.", Adachi explained, feeling rather bored. "It´s another example to how much of a complete opposite this world is."

They walked upstairs to the next floor where several Sadows were already waiting for them.

"Well, time to play for you!", Adachi shouted and took hide behind a pillar.

"What? You´re not helping us?", Kou spat, already having summoned his Person.

"Me? Why should _I_ help you? I´m just the tour guide here! Have fun, kids!"

"Grrr!", Kanji snarled, his Persona currently beating up an over sized table, nearly hitting Naoto´s Persona in the process that throwing almighty attacks with abandon over the battle field.

"Tatsumi! Out of my way, you yokel!", Naoto snapped at him, her Persona dodging Kanji´s Persona´s weapon and shoving the giant to the side.

"Hey!", Kanji protested when his Persona fell to the ground because of it and was immediately attacked by the table, but immediately backed down when he saw the young detective´s glare.

_You´re just not manly enough to take her on, sweety~! _

"Shut up!", Kanji yelled.

"What did you say, Tatsumi!"

"N-Notin´...", Kanji whimpered.

_See! You little pansy~! _

"Come on! Stop arguing and fight!", Souji reprimanded those two, throwing a rather worried glance at Patty who was hiding behind a pillar, not having summoned her Persona yet. He blused a bit when he thought about her Persona. It had been a bit of a shock for him when he´d first seen her Persona. He´d needed a moment to recall that Personas all looked like gods or other deities, but weren´t those deities themselves. If he could summon a Persona named Izanagi and was based on that god, then why shouldn´t Patty be able to summon a Persona named Izanami that was based said goddess? _`... It doesn´t mean anything!´_, Souji hurriedly thought, trying to forget about the meaning those two deities had together and concentrated on the fight again by throwing Zionga attacks at a dancing hand.

"Alright, Senpai!", Naoto shouted, acknowledging the orders of their their leader, and continued to fight as well.

_See! She likes him sooo much more than she likes you, that bad, bad girl~! After all, he´s sooo much stronger, sooo much more... __**manly**__than you could ever be, Kanji-kun~! _

"Tha... That has... nothin´ do with it...", Kanji mumbled a threw a glance at his Persona that was still lying on the floor. "Oy, stand up, you big fat lump!"

_As you wish... Kanji-kun~ _

The ground suddenly started shaking, the remaining Shadows rushing to the side in fear, when suddenly a black hand shot out of the floor and grabbed Kanji´s Persona.

"What the hell...?", Kanji yelled and and started to run towards his Persona. An invisible barrier threw him back. "Hey!' The hell´s going on here!"

His Persona was dragged further into the ground, a second dark hand appearing, followed by the rest of a tall body that took on human form seconds later, the being staring at Kanji with its yellow eyes.

"K-Kanji...!", Kou stammered, eyes huge.

"What?", both Kanji and the being - Shadow Kanji - snarled.

"... Rise! We have to get out of here! Now!", Souji yelled at the teenie idol who nodded and started to concentrate.

"Hey! And what about me!", Adachi yelled at him.

"Find your own way out of here!", Souji only answered.

"You want to leave already! How meeeaaan~!", Shadow Kanji chuckled, wearing a pink tutu. "Let´s have some fun first, sweety!" He snipped his fingers, and a pink barrier formed around them all immediately.

"No, thanks! We´ll pass!", Souji shouted, grabbed Kanji who just stood there and ran towards the portal that Rise had created, only to be shoved to the ground seconds later when they crashed against the pink barrier.

"I already told you, let´s have some fun first, honey!", Shadow Kanji chuckled, holding the back of his hand to his mouth like a lady.

"I... I ain´t hidin´ anything! Get the fuck out!", Kanji yelled at him.

"Ooooh, we´ll see, stud muffin! We´ll see...", his dark clone laughed, gaze turning malicious.

~.~.~.~

"So there are two possible candidates now?", Mr. Hanamura who was sitting in a dimmed room together with a person in a lift attendant uniform asked.

"Yes. The one we already talked about and the Shadow.", the other person said, voice emotionless.

"... So I have to choose between those two?", Mrs. Hanamura said, voice shaky.

"Yes. Either the person you have witnessed growing up into a young man throughout these years or the other one who has become like a son to you as well."

"Well, aren´t I happy! That makes things so much easier... NOT!", the brown-haired woman shouted at the other person and hectically walked around the room. "... Which one of them has a higher success rate?"

"The boy. The Shadow could be more of a hindrance as a facade."

Mrs. Hanamura took a deep breath and sat back down. "So in the end it leads to the same conclusion." She looked at the dirty window. "Why did I even think that there was another way... I knew this would be your answer..."

"We have come too far to stop now.", the person in the uniform reminded her.

"I know...", Mrs. Hanamura mumbled, tears running down her face. "Why him...?" She started sobbing. "Yosuke... I´m sorry..."

~.~.~.~

Author´s notes: Sorry about the delay, but I got sick. -.-'

There are more and more questions that are too much of a spoiler to post so I´ve created a site where you can look up the answers to your questions. You just have to highlight the space beneath the question you want to have answered.

This is the site: www (dot) theanswerspoiler (dot) blogspot (dot) c o m

Coldman9: You can find the answer to you question on the new site I created. Personally, I would advise against looking up spoilers since it ruins the anticipation. ;)

Persona 4 anonymous: I won´t even bother to give you an answer since it was written in a somewhat rude manner and you don´t seem to have read the story at all. Also, you signed under `anonymous´, stating that you´re too much of a coward to face me. I will not react to you ever again in this story.

Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: That confused me. Do you really mean Adachi? Or did you just confuse him with someone else?

Craig: I had to include one of the P3 in this tour so that they would realize that the method of summoning Personas with an evoker doesn´t work in the TV world. Otherwise I would have waited before throwing the P4 group and P3 group together, yes.

elyavalon: Welcome aboard the Persona Series section! ^^ It´s easier for me to answer reviews and such if everyone´s in this section. ;)

NightmareSyndrom: If you take a look at chapter 41, you will see that it´s revealed that the director of Inaba´s prison is a Shadow as well. Adachi´s talking about him when he says `friend´.

Thank you very much for your reviews, everyone! =)


	58. Chapter 58: Pink giant of manliness

_**Chapter 58: Pink giant of manliness**_

It was already far past her bed time, but Nanako happily sat in front of the TV in the living-room of her house, one cup of hot cocoa in her hands of which Jack Frost, who was sitting on her shoulder and couldn´t be seen by Noriko Kashiwagi, drank a bit as well from time to time.

"Just this once.", Kashiwagi had allowed her after a bit of hesitation after Nananko had pouted and begged to stay up longer. "But only because it´s Sunday tomorrow, meaning no school!"

"Noriko...", Nanako suddenly said and looked up from the TV to her nanny who was sitting drunk on the couch, the same spot where usually her father sat.

"Hm? Wazz wrrong, Nanako-chan?", Kashiwagi asked her, still managing to keep it together despite the rather huge amounts of alcohol she´d consumed this day.

"When´s daddy coming back home?"

"Once he´s caught the bad guy, dear.", Kashiwagi answered, seeing two Nanako´s in front of her.

"And how long is that going to take?", Nanako asked and giggled a bit when Jack Frost began sniffing at her hair in wonder.

"Hun, Ryo- your father´s only been away for a few weeks. He can´t sssolve it that fassst.", Kashiwagi tried explaining to the girl and took another large gulp of her drink.

"But I want him back now...", Nanako mumbled and pouted.

There could be heard some loud snoring from the couch the next moment, Kashiwagi having fallen asleep from all that booze. Nanako sighed while shaking her head and stood up to retrieve a blanket which she threw over Kashiwagi´s body. "Who´s looking after who..." Jack Frost started jumping around on her shoulders, suddenly lost his balance and fell down. "Ah! No!", Nanako shouted in horror, the snowball falling onto Kashiwagi´s face. But instead of waking up from the impact, the woman only grumbled and swatted the snowman away. "... Noriko really doesn´t wake up that easily when she´s drunk.", Nanako noted, lost in thought, and shook Kashiwagi a few times.

No reaction.

"Hmm..." Slowly, a plan was forming in the girl´s head.

~.~.~.~

"Kanji-kuuuuun~!", Kanji´s Shadow chirped happily, the group gathered around it and its original, all of them tense. The Shadow took several steps towards the real Kanji, circled around him and threw some analyzing glances at him.

"´ The hell are ya doin´?", Kanji snarled. "I already told: I ain´t got nothing to hide so get bent!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! No, no, just not gut enough.", Shadow Kanji finally said, having stopped its analyzing glances and now turned towards Souji. "That specimen of the male sex though... Let´s just say: Rrrrrrraaaaawrrrr!"

"Shut your trap!", Kanji yelled. "And quit that homo stuff, got it!"

"Oooooh, no! You got it all wrong! I´m merely stating the facts!", Shadow Kanji replied. "Facts that should show you clearly that you don´t stand a chance at all, Kanji darling!"

"This is the first time I can see the appearance of a Shadow in action! Cool!", Adachi said from behind the pillar where he´d hidden himself and stared from Kanji - or a few centimetres behind Kanji, to be precise - to his Shadow. "It´s really true what the director of Inaba prison had said. Tatsumi doesn´t have a shadow anymore now..."

"I´ve got absolutely no idea whatcha talkin´ about!", Kanji shouted at his Shadow in annoyance. "Start makin´ sense, punk!"

"Why even try anymore!", the Shadow just continued on. "She´s already made it quite clear that you´re just dirt to her, sweetie!"

Everyone was staring at Naoto now who only stared back at them in confusion.

"I... Well... ´s been... a stupid idea.", Kanji stammered.

"Stupid idea? Hah!", Shadow Kanji laughed. "More like the last desperate attempt to win an already lost battle! You should just give up and search for someone who´s just as much of a loser as you are!"

"CUT IT OUT!", Kanji snapped.

"Kukuku~!", the Shadow giggled. "You´re all talk, but no action, aren´t you?"

"I´ll show you who´s weak!"

"Oh yes, I´m just itching to get laid by you!", Shadow Kanji leered. "Hah! As if you´d be man enough to go through with it and beat the shit out of me!"

"Oh yeah! Do ya still remember that... that bathhouse! I can repeat that beating I´d giving you there back then if ya´d like!"

"Ooooh, you´re talking about the time _before_ you had started playing with dolls?", the Shadow asked.

"Wha-?"

"Sure, sure! The old Kanji could do it! The old Kanji would have hit me ages ago!", Shadow Kanji taunted. "But the girl Kanji that´s now standing in fro-"

The next moment Kanji´s fist connected with the Shadow´s face.

"Is that all?", the Shadow asked, not being impressed at all.

"What the...?", Kanji stared at him in bewilderment and hit him a few times more. His Shadow just stood there and even had the nerve to yawn loudly.

"Kukuku~!", the dark clone giggled. "Even Nanako-chan can hit harder than that! What, played a bit too much with dolls, huh? Time to start beating up biker gangs again, don´t you think!"

"What´s this all about?", Chie asked the others, puzzled. "Last time we´ve met his Shadow, it had tried to convince him to start sewing and stuff! And now it´s trying to get him to do the opposite?"

"I don´t take order from you, punk!", Kanji yelled at his Shadow. "If I want to sew, I sew! Now get the hell outta here, and beat up people yourself, if you´re so desperate!"

"Kukuku~... Well then, if you really want that...", the Shadow giggled in amusement, absorbing the little Shadows around it.

"Oh god... Here it comes!", Yosuke shouted.

"THEN YOU CAN SEW IN HELL! HERE I CUUUUM!", the Shadow screeched, now surrounded by black fog, while Kanji fainted. The wall of fog grew and grew until it reached the ceiling, and when it finally disappeared again, a pink giant appeared before them, its body formed like a certain part of the male body, with two large grapplers and two legs that looked like the suggestive body as well. "I am a Shadow, the true self! Thoroughly lubed and ready to go!"

"That thing looks like a-!", Kou started in disgust.

"Like a lollipop!", Patty interrupted him. The others stared at her in disbelief. "Uh... Just... ignore me... ´kay?"

"KAISER KANJI AIII-426 is here!", the now gigantic Shadow that had taken on this grotesque robot form cackled, one arm trying to grab Naoto who jumped to the side in panic, the other arm trying to squash Souji. "Sit still, you two! We have some serious talking to do, you know!"

"Kanji Tatsumi´s Shadow! If this is supposed to be another joke by you and your original, then I am most certainly not laughing!", Naoto snapped at the giant robot.

"Another joke?", Rise repeated, puzzled, and jumped up in horror like the rest of the group when suddenly the whole room was engulfed by a green, unnatural light.

"Activating Duel Mode!", Fuuka´s distorted voice could be heard.

"Fuuka?", Akihiko shouted and looked around in the room. "No... It´s her Shadow, isn´t it?"

Souji nodded, looking around the room as well while keeping an eye on the giant robot that somehow seemed to be paralyzed all of a sudden. He tried to take a few steps towards it, but realized that his body seemed just as paralyzed as Shadow Kanji. "What the...?"

"Initiating Party Modus!", Fuuka´s Shadow announced, a blue light suddenly engulfing Souji. "Team leader: Souji Seta. Task of choosing three other party members will be given to the leader."

Yosuke stared at the ceiling in disbelief. "What the hell...? Do we look like video game characters to you!"

"Resistance detected. Initiating punishment!", Fuuka´s Shadow merely said, a Debilitate attack hitting Yosuke.

"Ugh!", the music-loving man said and fell to his knees.

"Waiting for party formation..."

"And what if I refuse?", Souji shouted.

"Elimination will be iniated as a consequence. This is my video game, my world, my story! I am the one in charge!"

"Computer nerd...", Chie sighed.

Souji looked at the others. Akihiko wouldn´t be any help at all since he apparently couldn´t summon his Persona in the TV world. He next stared at Patty who was still cowering behind the pillar, face as white as a sheet. He had a feeling he would never get to see her Persona again. _`Okay... A party consisting of four people. Hmm...´_ He let his gaze wander around. _`We need a healer, meaning... ´_ "Teddie!", he shouted, and the startled blond Shadow was immediately engulfed by a blue light as well. _`A physical fighter...´_"Kou!" A third blue light engulfed Kou who nodded. _`And finally someone who can use strong elemental attacks! Yukiko would be a good choice, but she´s not here, and Yosuke´s out of question as well thanks to the Debilitate spell just now...´_"Naoto!" The fourth and final blue light engulfed Naoto, and seconds later the four friends were teleported in fron of Kanji´s Shadow.

"The duel may begin!", Fuuka´s Shadow announced. "First turn: Shadow Kanji!"

Seconds later a Zionga attack was thrown at Teddie who tried to dodge, but seemed to be frozen solid. The attack hit him squarely in the face.

"WEAK POINT HIT! ONE MORE!", Shadow Fuuka bellowed.

"WHAT?"

Another Zionga attack followed, knocking Teddie unconscious.

"Damn!", Chie groaned. "Hey! I wanna be changed out for Teddie!"

"Rejected!", came the answer.

"Grrr..."

"Next turn: Souji Seta!"

"Marakukaja!", Souji yelled, Izanagi shielding him and his three companions with barriers.

"Next turn: Kou Ichijo!"

"Rise! What´s the Shadow´s weak point?", Kou asked the teenie idol.

"It´s an... um...", Rise stammered, getting all kinds of crazy readings with all that fog. "... a Tower? Uh, no... Ah, an Emperor, of course! It´s strong against electricity! And it got absolutely no weak point, sorry!"

"Matarukaja!", Kou shouted, Siegfried strengthening the group´s offence.

"Next turn: Naoto Shirogane!"

A strengthened Megidola attack hit the pink giant that crashed down, but got up again a few seconds later, throwing a kiss towards Naoto.

"Next turn: Teddie!"

Teddie remained unconscious.

"Next turn: Teddie!", Shadow Fuuka´s voice repeated.

Still no reaction from the blond Shadow.

"Participation in battle refused, initiating punishment!"

"What? That´s not fair!", Kou protested when suddenly a Dekaja spell destroyed all of their buffs.

"It´s my turn, lovelies!", Shadow Kanji giggled, hitting Kou with one of its fist and throwing him against the pillar where Patty was hiding.

"Critical Hit: ONE MORE!"

"Fuck!", Yosuke groaned.

Shadow Kanji made a rather gay motion with its hand, a Tetrakarn shield surrounding him immediately after.

"Ugh...", Souji grumbled, now absolutely no chance for him left to attack anymore, and used a Rakunda spell instead to lower the enemy´s defence.

Kou groaned, stood up and returned to battle field, lowering Shadow Kanji´s attack with a Tarunda spell.

Another Megidola attack by Naoto hit the giant robot.

"Naoto-kuuuuuun! Don´t be so mean to meee~!", Shadow Kanji cried. "I even dressed up soooo nicely for you!"

"... Huh?", Naoto said, puzzled.

"It´s talking about its appearance, Naoto! Your Shadow had taken on the appearance of a robot as well years ago!", Souji explained.

"Why... should Tatsumi´s Shadow want to please me like that?", Naoto asked, now completely confused.

"You blockhead!", Rise snapped at her.

"Naoto... what exactly had happened between you and Kanji in your lounge back then?", Souji asked the young detective hesitantly. _`How can she not get that Kanji´s in love with her after that day?´_

"That... That is none of your business!" A rather defensive reply.

"Next turn: Teddie!", Shadow Fuuka shouted impatiently, but said Shadow remained lying unconscious on the floor. "Participation in battle refused, initiating punishment!"

A silence attack hit Naoto.

"How about a Swift Strike~!", Shadow Kanji chirped happily. Said attack crashed down upon the three mercilessly, although slightly weakened from Kou´s Tarunda spell.

"What now? Souji and Kou can´t attack it and Naoto´s no help at all now with that status ailment!", Chie said.

Unfortunately, Souji had to agree with her. _`What now...? I could use Marakukaja, but it´ll just get destroyed immediately, because Teddie´s down... Ugh!´_

"Next turn: Souji Seta!", Shadow Fuuka said, sounding rather bored.

_`Damnit! I can´t just use something without thinking!´_

"Next turn: Souji Seta! Ten seconds remaining to comply!"

"Seta, you brat! Use Marakukaja and let Ichijo attack it!", Adachi snapped at the silver-haired Fool.

"What? But-", Souji started, but stopped. _`Wait a minute! Siegfried´s strong against physical attacks to a certain degree; that´s why Shadow Kanji hasn´t been able to knock Kou out with that critical hit! If I strengthen this resistance with Marakuja-"_

"... 3... 2..."

"MARAKUKAJA!" Barriers surrounded the three friends immediately.

"Siegfried!", Kou yelled. The person appeared and attacked the Shadow immediately with an Assault Dive attack that thrown back at Kou. "Ugh!", he groaned and sank to the ground.

"Kou!", Chie shouted, worried, but unable to move like the rest of the group.

"It... doesn´t hurt at all...", Kou gasped and stood up again, their plan a success.

"Boo! Another wanna-be macho! Not my type, baby! Not my type at all!", Shadow Kanji complained.

"Naoto, I´ll ask oce again: What exactly happened in your lounge?", Souji asked her anew.

"That´s...", Naoto said and shot the robot´s knee, using her revolver. "... none of your business!"

"Yes, it is!", Souji snapped.

A Dekaja spell was thrown at them as a punishment for Teddie still being unconscious.

"Hmph! This whole affair is more embarrassing for Tatsumi anyway!", Naoto replied, getting hit by a physical attack. "Lying naked in my bed like that and saying things like _`Come on, baby! I know ya want it, too´_! What in the world was he trying to prove with that!"

"_`Come on, baby! I know ya want it, too!´_?", Souji repeated in disbelief, aiming at the Shadow´s knee as well with his sword. "That´s not like Kanji at all..."

"Exactly! This whole thing must have been just one silly joke by Tatsumi and Kujikawa, nothing more!"

Souji sighed while Kou threw his heave basketball at the Shadow´s knee as well. _`Kanji, you idiot! You lost your nerve and tried to act all tough, didn´t you...?´_He looked up at Kanji´s Shadow that seemed looked so strong and so girly at the same time. _`I think I know what his Shadow wants to tell him... He doesn´t want him to be manlier, no... He wants him to...´_

Naoto shot the Shadow´s knee anew. A loud WAMM and said robotic knee exploded.

"Aaagh!", the giant robot screamed in pain and fell to the side.

Teddie stayed unconscious.

"Participation in battle refused, initiating punishment!"

A silence attack was aimed at Souji, but missed, fortunately.

"Miserable slime!", Shadow Kanji cried and hit Kou who remained unconscious this time.

"Nnngh...", the real Kanji groaned in the meantime, having regained consciousness, and stood up shakily, staring at his Shadow with huge eyes. "What the...? What the hell´s that gay thing there s'pposed ta be?"

"Kanji!", Souji shouted in relief. "Come on, do something! I don´t think we can handle that thing!"

"What, and lose my freedom like that!", Kanji snapped and shook his head. "Nuh-uh, Senpai! Didn´t ya hear what that thing´s said ta me?"

"... 5... 4... 3...", Shadow Fuuka counted since Souji had still to make a move this turn.

The silver-haired man used a Marakukaja spell.

"Please, Kanji! Do me a favour and try to talk!", Souji begged him.

Kanji shook his head stubbornly.

"So you would rather disappoint your father like that! You would ignore his last wish!", Souji yelled at him.

"Participation refused, initiating punishment!"

A Dekaja punishment destroyed the buff due to Kou being unable to participate in battle any longer.

"That´s... pretty low, Senpai...", Kanji replied miserably and looked to the side.

Naoto shot the Shadow´s other knee on which it balancing its weight now.

"Next turn: Teddie!"

"He´s right, Kanji!", Rise interfered. "Are you really just gonna run away? Are you not man enough to face yourself?"

"What the hell! You sayin´ I ain´t manly?", Kanji snapped at her.

"Participation refused, initiating punishment!"

A Dekunda spell ruined the debuffs Shadow Kanji had had to endure until now.

"Oh, you fuckin´ piece o' shit! According to you, I´m not manly enough anymore since I´m sewing all the time, eh? I was manlier once, huh?", Kanji snapped at his Shadow now.

"But of course, sweetie! Just look at you!", Shadow Kanji giggled and hit Naoto at the same time.

Kanji grumbled loudly before he said: "Alright, fine... I´ll quit sewing! Ya happy now! I´ll start hittin´ anyone who so much as dares to look at me again, 'kay!"

"Marakukaja!", Souji yelled, trying to keep status changes at bay.

"Ooooh, so you wanna be a bad boy, huh?", the Shadow asked in amusement.

"Yep!"

"Participation refused, initiating punishment!", Fuuka´s Shadow announced, Kou still just lying there. Another Debilitate spell was thrown at Souji and Naoto who was shaking the whole time due to the last hit she had taken.

"And what about sewing and all those nice things? You´re just going to give all that up?", Shadow Kanji continued asking. "You´re really heartless, you know!"

"What the...? But you just said that-", Kanji started, thoroughly confused.

_`Damn! He doesn´t get it at all...!´_, Souji thought, worried.

Naoto shot at the Shadow´s knee once again.

"Then... Then... I´ll continue sewing!", Kanji hurriedly said.

"Really? And what about your other side? You just want to repress it?", Shadow Kanji asked, tears of pain streaming down its mechanical face.

"Wha´...? I... just don´t get... what ya..."

"Participation refused, initiating punishment!"

A Marakunda spell hit Naoto and Souji.

"Kukuku~! One remaining!", Shadow Kanji giggled and knocked out Naoto for good this time.

"If I say I want to sew, you start naggin´ me about how I´m repressing my other side. But if I want to focus on that side, you´re startin´ ta nag me about how I´m abandoning my hobbies... I... I just don´t get it! ´s too much for my brain!", Kanji shouted, getting louder with every word.

Souji hit the Shadow´s knee that now exploded as well. Shadow Kanji squeaked as he fell to the ground where he stayed.

"Well, you´re beyond helping, I guess.", the Shadow giggled.

The punishment for Kou´s dropout followed: Tarunda.

"If ya keep harpin´ on about both o' those things, then... Damnit, I just don´t get it!", Kanji cursed.

The punishment for Naoto´s dropout followed: Sukunda.

"Don´t rush it, Kanji! Just try and think about it! I´m sure you can do it!", Souji tried to encourage him.

"Senpai..."

The punishment Teddie´s dropout followed: Rakukaja, aimed at Shadow Kanji.

Shadow Kanji hit Souji from its position on the ground, nearly knocking out the Fool.

_`Another hit like that and it´s over...´_, Souji thought, while standing up on wobbly feet after a few seconds. He summoned his Persona, but it missed its target due to the Skukunda spell. "Damn!"

"I guess both sides are important...", Kanji mumbled.

The punishment for Kou´s dropout followed: Tarukaja, aimed at Shadow Kanji.

Rise cloes her eyes in fear.

"Kukuku~! I will win!", Shadow Kanji cheered.

"No, you won´t, piece of crap!", Yosuke shouted, though in reality he didn´t see how Souji was supposed to win this.

"Okay, ya pink queer ass-thing! If ya keep harpin´ on about both o' those things, then I guess both of them are important, right?", Kanji yelled at his Shadow.

"Ooooh~! Is that a light at the end of the tunnel?", Shadow Kanji giggled in response.

The punishment for Naoto´s dropout followed: Sukukaja, aimed at Shadow Kanji.

Kanji looked to the ground: "I get it now... When I had waited in Naoto´s lounge, I... damn, had I gotten scared... She´s..."

The punishment for Teddie´s dropout followed: A silence attack, aimed at Souji, this time hitting him.

"She´s... really what people´d call the `epitome of manliess´, isn´t she?", Kanji continued and threw a short glance at the unconscious Naoto. "Tch! Dresses like a guy! If I didn´t know that she´s a woman, I´d really think she´s a dude!"

"My turn~!", Shadow Kanji laughed and aimed at Souji who closed his eyes.

There was a loud BOOM, and the next moment the arm that had tried to hit Souji was blown to pieces.

"Next turn: Souji Seta !"

"But how...?", Shadow Kanji shrieked in confusion and stared at the ceiling. "Who´s there?"

"Huh?" Akihiko looked up as well. He thought he´d seen something silvery-blond before it had disappeared again. "What was that?"

"... Margaret?", Souji mumbled, eyes huge.

"I tried actin´ all macho, but I guess it all back-fired. That Shadow´s proof o' that...", Kanji continued while Souji tried to hit his Shadow´s arm, the effect of the Sukunda spell making him miss his target, though. "Hell, I thought she´d never want me at all the way I am! Some who loves to sew and thinks stuff like pink and all that stuff´s cute!"

The punishment for Kou´s dropout followed: Power Charge, aimed at Shadow Kanji.

"I tried suppressing the part of me that likes those things once again, just like when I´d first met my Shadow... I was doin´ it in secret in my lounge, with Souji-senpai there to encourage me..."

The punishment for Naoto´s dropout followed: Mind Charge, aimed at Shadow Kanji.

"Guess I didn´t learn from my mistakes at all, huh, Pops...?"

Shadow Kanji´s body started shaking.

The punishment for Teddie´s dropout followed: Revolution, aimed at Shadow Kanji.

"Sorry..."

"IT´S CURTAIN´S FOR YOU, SWEETIE~!", Shadow Kanji screeched and aimed at Souji.

"Sorry for being such an idiot, Pops... Naoto... and Me..."

It seemed like time had stopped when Shadow Kanji´s fist stopped centimetres in front of Souji´s face.

"Wh... What?", the Shadow asked Kanji, voice choked.

"I said `I´m sorry, Me´.", Kanji repeated.

A silent tear ran down the mechanical face of the Shadow and hit the floor where it transformed into a small lake that the Shadow was slowly sucked in.

"I am thou... And thou art I...", the voice in Souji´s head suddenly began to speak. "The Link that hath been asleep for such a long time and that thou hast awakened from its slumber hast finally matured again and reached its full potential... Well done, Wielder of the Wild Card..."

The lake suddenly transformed into a tornado full, its center full of lightning, got smaller and smaller until it exploded, and suddenly Rokuten-Mao was floating above Kanji in all its glory, ready for action.

~.~.~.~

Author´s notes: Writer´s block, simple as that. Hope this chapter doesn´t suck too much because of that. -_-

Light Riku: Thank you for your PM! It´s nice to have a fan! ^^ In regards to your question: No. It´s not quite that simple. There´s still some part of the puzzle that surrounds Teddie missing that I left out on purpose on that spoiler site. I don´t want to give everything away just yet. ;)

Rals The Mole: Don´t worry, that part will have a logical explanation. So far the only mistake I´ve made is the one in chapter 56 where Souji drags Akihiko towards the TV in Fuuka´s office.

NightmareSyndrom: Yosuke´s mother jumped into the TV world in chapter 43 after leaving behind a letter addressed to her husband (the content of that letter is yet to revealed). For everyone else, Yosuke´s mother has disappeared. Her husband may know where she really is or may not. Yet again, that has yet to be revealed.

Thank you for your reviews, everyone!


	59. Chapter 59: Nikita the Devil

_**Chapter 59: Nikita the Devil**_

Author´s notes: As somebody had already mentioned in the reviews, I had forgotten to add Shadow Kanji´s battle theme.

Here´s the link to that theme, if anyone´s still interested:

www (dot) youtube (dot) com / watch? v=fQKqwNbkrn4

~.~.~.~

He looked up in horror at the golden archway that was still standing, the rest of the gate lying in ruins.

"I will devour... tear apart... everything...", he could the being that was standing at the top of the archway whispering with its gruff voice.

"Stop it! What do you think you can accomplish like that!" That was Sensei´s voice!

"What... What happened?", he could Naoto who was standing near him, looking around in confusion as if she couldn´t see anything despite her eyes that seemed rather glassy being wide open.

"Freak´s totally gone berserk!", Kanji who was standing beside her, an arm thrown around her as if he was playing seeing-eye dog for her.

He tried to move, but his arms that felt so cold just wouldn´t budge. He was able to make out Yosuke who was kneeling over him, the music-loving man´s right arm looking stiff, as if he wasn´t able to move it anymore.

"BAGMAAAAAAAAAN!"

~.~.~.~

"He´s going to be alright... right?" It was the voice of a boy he did not know.

Silence.

"If it is more money you need, then...!"

"... He won´t wake up again, Miss. We did everything we could. I´m sorry..."

"You´re sorry? YOU´RE SORRY!" A female voice that seemed familiar

He felt his how his entire being suddenly became torn apart: His body one part, his soul another one, his life energy the third one... being blown into all different directions... The day of his birth... and the birth of his two siblings...

"Burn..."

"My..."

"Dread..."

~.~.~.~

Tartarus was once again engulfed by the usual green and dark glimmer after Kanji´s Persona Rokuten-Mao had disappeared again.

"Terimanting Duel Mode...", Shadow Fuuka´s voice could be heard right before they were able to move once again. "Opening lift to Second Block..."

Yosuke hurried over to the three unconscious friends and tried to patch them up with Dia as good as possible.

Patty sighed behind the pillar she had been hiding. "I couldn´t do anything at all... I´m useless..."

"Tch! Don´t get all worked up, 'kay!", Adachi snapped at her. "I´ve been hiding as well! And do I look like I´m useless to you!"

"I... N-no...", Patty stammered. "... Thanks."

"Hah! Don´t get me wrong! If you were useless, then I´d bee, too.", Adachi said. "And I can´t stand being called weak and the likes!" Patty was still looking at him, smiling. "You and me alone in a room, that sweet little mouth of yours, gooood times!"

Patty backed away immediately in disgust which made Adachi laugh maliciously.

"... Did we win?", Naoto who had regained consciousness together with the other two asked and rubbed her neck that was now hurting from all those hits she had taken.

"Yap, sure did!", Kanji said, face split in two by a huge grin.

"Hmph!" Naoto looked to the side.

_Who cares about him, right? _

Naoto´s eyes widened.

"Sensei, I´ve dreamed beary weird things just now.", a sleepy Teddie said in the meantime. "We´d all been looking up at some strange gate and-"

"I-I think we should leave for now.", Naoto interrupted him. "We four are still injured as it is. And Hanamura-senpai is still weakened by that Debilitate attack."

_Are you scared of me, Naoto-kun? _

"But what about Yamagishi-sensei? This tower´s pretty huge, isn´t it?", Chie asked.

"Her Shadow´s mentioned something about `Block Two´ just now.", Akihiko said. "Tartarus is made up of six of such `Blocks´. The first block we´re currently in stretches from floor 2 to 16. If we manage to get through a block each time, we´ll be there in no time."

"Hmm... So let´s go back for now, then.", Souji decided and nodded towards Rise who created a portal through which they managed to travel back to the exit, right in front of the TV that would bring them back to their world.

"We... really have to use the TV again?", Akihiko asked, already feeling slightly nauseous.

"Whaaaat? Scaaaared?", Yosuke taunted.

"Sh-shut up! And do something about your voice! It´s annoying!", Akihiko snapped, face slightly red, and looked to the side.

"My... voice?", Yosuke repeated, puzzled.

"141389.", Adachi said to Naoto. "Call that number whenever you need my help in this world. The person taking the call will notify me immediately."

"... Understood.", Naoto said.

"Tch! And you´re really known as an `ace´ detective?", the former detective laughed.

"Wh-what?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Maybe you´ll notice it yourself someday.", Adachi chuckled and lay down onto the ground. "Well, it certainly was a fun evening being with you, kids. Especially that pink gay thing that came out of Tatsumi! Bwahahahaha!"

"Punk! Shut the hell up!", Kanji growled.

"Sorry, sorry! But you´ll have to admit, a Shadow like that´s just hilarious!", Adachi chuckled from his position on the ground. "And thanks to the Shadow´s appearance, I was able to confirm the nature of their powerful presence."

"What do you mean?", Naoto asked.

"I already told ya, Shirogane, maybe you´ll-"

"I´m not talking about my lacking potential as a detective, as you put it. I´m talking about `the nature of their powerful presence´.", Naoto interrupted him.

"Oh, you mean that.", Adachi said and sat up. "Well, just take a look at me. Notice something?"

"Ugly and arrogant?", Kou suggested, shrugging, and dodged a Ziodyne attack that an angry Adachi had thrown at him just in time.

"No! My shadow, you idiot! My shadow!", the former detective shouted and motioned behind him. There where there should have been Adachi´s shadow was absolutely nothing.

"No shadow.", Teddie said.

"Good boy.", Adachi sighed. "And now look at your shadows."

"What about it? It´s there, like always.", Yosuke replied and looked at his own shadow.

"Yes, but only as long as your Shadow doesn´t appear.", Adachi said. "If the Shadow appears, the original´s shadow disappears, just like Tatsumi´s shadow had disappeared after his Shadow had appeared."

"Really? I didn´t notice at all!", Patty said.

"Hmph! That´s why you´re just a bunch of stupid kids.", Adachi said.

"And... why does the shadow disappear?", Chie asked.

"Simple: Because a person´s shadow is just the Shadow waiting.", Adachi explained.

"Waiting?", Souji repeated.

"Yes, waiting. Or in other words: It awaits the moment it´s able to take on physical form. It awaits the moment a person´s resolution crumbles so that it can deal the final blow. Your Shadow is always with you, like it or not."

"But we can see our shadows in our world. How so?", Kou argued.

"Because Shadows have such a strong presence, such a strong power. You´ve witnessed those powers in action several times now, right?", Adachi replied. "The presence of Shadows is so powerful that it can be perceived even in our world."

"And why-?"

"And why can´t we see them during the night, right, Ichijo?", Adachi interrupted him. "Well, that is because our eyes aren´t able to see enough without the help of light. Yet the Shadows still remain. Now matter if it´s daytime or nighttime. Scaaaaary~, isn´t it? Well, have fun sleeping tonight. Your Shadows will be watching you even then!" Er cackled when he saw their disturbed looks. "Good thing they can only come out when you´re in the TV world, huh! Otherwise you´d already been dead ages ago, the way the human race always loses their resolution time and time again! Hahahahaha!"

"But Teddie has a shadow, too.", Teddie said. "If Adachi-baby doesn´t have a shadow in his Shadow body, then Teddie shouldn´t have one too, right?"

"Hmm..." Adachi studied Teddie. "I guess your whole nature had changed the moment you had taken human form. Otherwise you wouldn´t have a shadow, like me."

"So that means Teddie´s really become human!", Teddie howled and jumped happily into Yosuke´s arm. "Teddie´s human, Yosuke! Human!"

"Okay, okay, I get it! We already knew that! Stop clinging to me!", Yosuke snapped while making vomiting noises.

"Heh... I don´t understand him at all...", Adachi grumbled. "If I could have my way I would stay a Shadow forever..." He lay down on the ground once again. "Well, see you later, kiddos!" The next moment his body had disappeared into the ground.

"Where did he go?", Chie asked and looked around in bewilderment.

"Back to the prison in our world.", Souji said and turned towards the TV. "Okay, Akihiko, take my hand."

"Just a moment.", the young director said, pointed the Neo Evoker at his temple and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. "I thought so...", he sighed and grabbed Souji´s hand, the same nauseating feeling overwhelming him once again while they were being transported back to their world.

~.~.~.~

"Ah, you´re back!", Yukiko shouted happily when she noticed Souji and the others falling out of the TV in Naoto´s lounge.

"Yukiko? I thought you were staying in Yamagishi-sensei´s office?", Souji said in confusion while Akihiko pulled the evoker´s trigger again, this time being able to summon his Persona Caesar.

"Well...", Yukiko started and looked behind her at Rise´s old bed where Fuuka´s motionless body was lying.

"Oh."

"I couldn´t just leave her in her office like that.", Yukiko explained. "And don´t worry. I´ve made sure that nobody sees me. There still aren´t many people back, thankfully."

"Good.", Souji said, nodding, and then turned to Naoto. "Is it alright with you, if she stays here for the time being? We have to keep her somewhere, after all."

"Yes, that is alright.", Naoto answered.

"I will think up a fitting excuse for her absence.", Akihiko added while glaring up at his Persona.

"By the way, Souji-kun, you´d forgotten to lock the office door behind you.", Yukiko said.

"What? But I´m sure I´d locked it.", Souji protested.

"No. Hiro-kun was able to enter just like that.", Yukiko said.

"Hiroshi´d come back?", Patty asked.

"Yes. Apparently, he had been worried about Yamagishi-sensei."

"More like he wanted to see if he couldn´t get to grope her some more, that pervert...", Chie grumbled. "He´s just as desperate as Pervesuke."

"I heard that!", Yosuke yelled at her.

"You were supposed to!"

"You...! YOU...!"

"Could you please stop it, Satonaka-senpai?", Naoto snapped at her, annoyed.

"Whaaat? Why only me?", Chie protested, but stopped immediately when she young detective glared at her.

"Ito hasn´t come back yet, has she?", Naoto asked.

"Huh? No. She had fled into the TV world, after all.", Yukiko said, looking at Rise questioningly.

"Well, I couldn´t sense her in there - well, I couldn´t sense anything, really...", Rise sighed. "But Adachi also wasn´t able to sense her."

"Adachi?", Yukiko repeated, wide-eyed.

"I´ll explain it to you later, Yukiko.", Chie promised her.

"... Okay."

"Alright. I think you´d better go back to your lounges now while I take care of making an excuse for Fuuka.", Akihiko suggested and turned towards the lounge´s exit together with the others.

"... S... Souji-san?", Naoto suddenly said, gaze lowered.

"Hmm? Something wrong?", Souji asked, one hand already at the door knob.

"You... Well..."

_`I... l... I... In two weeks... when we return from ice skating, c-could you... come to my room? There is... something very important that I would like to discuss with you.´_

"I...", Naoto tried again.

_`... Of course.´_

_`Th-thank you, Set- Souji-san.´_

"It is... It is nothing.", Naoto finally said and looked up again, looking at him with her usual sharp gaze. _`Don´t cry...´_

"A... Alright. Well... then good night.", Souji said and smiled at her.

_`Don´t cry... Don´t cry...´_

The moment everyone had left the lounge, Naoto stumbled through the lounge and finally sat down in front of the mirror that Rise had once hung up to use it when she was putting on make-up.

She did feel something warm and wet trickling down her face, but only registred that something to be tears when she stared up at her reflection.

"... He forgot." She hid her face desperately in her hands and tried to stop the tears. "I´m... so stupid... As if he´d really... feel any resemblance of friendship towards one of us... Everything... Everything he does... is just an act... just like... Adachi-san had said back then... We´re... just pawns he can use for him..."

A few moments later she stood up again, shoulders sagging, and just lied down on her bed, dressed like she was.

"There is no point... to lower my defences in front... of any of them... This emotional wall I´ve put up against them... will remain strong..."

~.~.~.~

It was four days later when Souji returned to his lounge to find Yosuke sitting on his bed, looking as if he had waited for the silver-haired man.

"Are you going somewhere again?", Souji asked.

It had taken a few days, but Yosuke had gradually managed to somewhat get over the shock of his mother having disappeared and the realization that Ikas seemed to be the culprit.

Yosuke nodded and went to the door. "Do you have time... Partner? How about it?"

"Huh?" Souji stared at him, puzzled. _`He wants me to go with him?´_ "... Of course. We´re not entering the TV world tonight, so it´s okay."

"Good.", Yosuke said and smiled awkwardly before turning towards the kitchen and shouting: "Hey, Ted! Just because you´ll have the lounge for you all night, doesn´t mean you can throw a party or something like that! Got it?"

"I know, I know! I´ll be a very good bear!", was the tokenistic answer.

"He´ll probably use that time to consume tonnes of sugar again...", Yosuke sighed and entered the hallways, followed by Souji.

~.~.~.~

A few hours later, the two friends left the streetcar that they had taken to reach Tokyo´s main part, and wandered through the shopping streets.

"Where exactly are we going, Yosuke?", Souji asked.

The street they were currently wandering along was the same street he had walked back then when he had first arrived in Tokyo and walked towards the university.

Yosuke just cleared his throat, but didn´t say anything while entering a side street.

Was he just imagining things or were Yosuke´s ears red all of a sudden?

"Hmm... I think I know this street...", Souji mumbled while they walked through the dark alley. But wh-" He suddenly stopped, eyes huge when he remembered. On his way to Tanaba University back then...! "Y-Y-Yosuke... where exactly are you taking me?"

Yosuke´s ears turned even redder if that was possible while he stubbornly continued walking, a disbelieving Souji following him.

Pink glowing neon signs affirmed Souji´s assumptions: They had just now entered an alley that led to this town´s homosexual area. Gay bars after gay bars adorned this alley, men in rather disputable leather outfits standing everywhere.

"Yosuke...", Souji tried anew.

No reaction from the music-loving man.

"Yosuke!"

Yosuke stopped, face hidden. "... Y-yes... Partner?"

Some of the homosexuals giggled at the mentioning of the nickname.

Souji inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times before laying a hand on Yosuke´s shoulder before quickly snatching it away due to some wolf-whistles from the other men.

"I-I...", Souji started, face now beet-red as well because of this embarrassing situation. "I... had no idea at all... You... So Naoto was right about her assumption that all those homphobic comments you had made were just to distract from yourself."

"... What?", Yosuke asked, puzzled, and slowly turned around.

Again, Souji lay his hand on Yosuke´s shoulder, opting to ignore the whistles this time, and tried to look as serious as possible. "I... really like you, Yosuke. Like you as a friend, alright? Just like Kou and Teddie are my friends. Nothing more."

"... What?", Yosuke said again, only staring at him.

"You and mere... th-that would never work... d-do you... understand?", Souji continued. "B-but I... I´m thankful... th-that you´ve finally confessed to me, Y-Yosuke. I´ll... try n-not to let this get into the way of ou-our friendship... and so on..."

Yosuke´s eyes went as huge as saucers. "WHAT THE FUCK! I AIN´T GAY, DUDE!"

Several homosexuals stared at Yosuke like he had just slapped him.

"It´s okay, Yosuke. You don´t have t-"

"Oh, fucking hell, man! Shut the hell up and come with me!", he groaned. "I knew this would get embarrassing as hell!" He grabbed Souji and dragged him through the alley, ignoring the wolf-whistles around him.

~.~.~.~

Several minutes later they reached a gay bar called _`NIKITA´S 3´_.

"Okay! Get in there!", Yosuke growled and dragged Souji inside.

Some ass groping later, the still shell-shocked Souji sat at the bar counter while Yosuke had wandered off somewhere.

With a certain feeling of doom Souji looked around and noticed how nearly all of the gay bar´s guests were staring at him like he was a very delicious meal.

He was just about to wish Yosuke would be back already when the barkeeper hit the counter several times in warning. "Now, now, you perverted cuties! Leave the poor boy alone already! The poor thing must think by now that there´s going to be some kind of gang rape here going on in a few minutes! Kukuku~!", the barkeeper said with a very fake sounding nasal voice and then looked down at Souji, their gazes crossing.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!", the barkeeper screeched in horror and jumped back a bit.

"Beeeeh...", Souji only said in annoyance, having recognized the barkeeper: It was the same man wearing those ugly women´s clothing that had tried to flirt with him back then when he had first arrived in Tokyo. It was the same man who was always neighbours with the Tajibayaki´s who always ran away in horror when Souji came to visit.

"Y-Y-Y-YOU!", the man screeched with a rather gruff voice - his real voice, apparently - his red-haired wig falling down in the process. "YOU LITTLE...! NOW YOU´RE ALREADY STALKING ME, HUH!"

"What are you talking about?", Souji asked.

"DON´T ACT DUMB, KID! I´VE SEEN YOU STARING AT ME EVERY TIME YOU´RE VISITING THE TAJIBAYAKI´S! JUST BECAUSE YOU´VE UNCOVERED MY DARK SECRET, YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT ME, HUH! HUUUUH!"

"Sould I... call a mental clinic right now?", Souji asked.

"Grrr!", the man growled and leaned over the counter, staring directly into Souji´s eyes. Both of them held that glaring duel for quite a while before the man finally said: "How much?"

"... Huh?"

"How much many to keep you quiet?", the man growled.

"What are you-"

"If word about me working here gets out, I´ll be ruined! Nobody´ll want to talk to me again; my neighbours, my friends - NOBODY!", the man screeched. "How much money do you want, brat!"

"Bribe money, huh?"

"Yeah, bribe money! What else am I supposed to do? You think I like runnin´ around in Tokyo wearin´ those women´s clothes all day and flirtin´ with lil´ brats like you? Huh? HUH?"

"I´m not interested.", Souji said, trying to locate his best friend who was still nowhere to be seen.

"... Huh?"

"I´m neither interested in ruining you, now do I want your money.", Souji said. "You´re the only one who´s got this stupid idea stuck in head."

The man only stared at him. "... Oh."

"Yeah, I guess `Oh´ sums it up quite nicely.", Souji agreed.

A few seconds of silence, then...

"DON´T TRY TO ACT ALL TOUGH, 'KAY! Okay, I´ll admit I was wrong, but that doesn´t mean you can just act all high ´n mighty about it here, got it! This is my gay bar, after all! I´m the boss here!"

"... You´re Nikita?", Souji asked.

"Nikita Uchitaka, in flesh and blood!", the man bristled, grabbed one of the glasses behind him, filled it with vodka and shoved it towards Souji. "Here, on the house, kid! Just think of it as compensation."

"Nikita... I thought that name would belong to a wo-"

"DON´T EVEN THINK ABOUT FINISHING THAT SENTENCE, BOY!", Nikita screeched.

Souji decided he had better shut up now and drank some of the vodka.

"So, what´s a young lad like you doin´ in a place like this?", the man named Nikita asked while starting to clean some dirty glasses. "Ya don´t exactly look like belong to this side of the river, if ya get what I mean."

"Then why did you try flirting with me back then, if you know that I don´t swing that way?", Souji replied instead of answering.

"Well, it´s always worth a try to get more customers.", Nikita said, shrugging, and only now noticed that he had lost his wig. Grumbling, he knelt down while holding one hand protectively in front of his behind, as if he was expecting someone to grope him. "Can´t be careful enough around here.", he said and looked at the hand that had been protecting his butt.

"Do you know a Yosuke Hanamura?", Souji finally asked a few moments of silence later.

"Yosuke? Of course I know that guy! The guys around here really go berserk whenever they see that cute ass of his.", Nikita answered.

Souji chocked on his drink in shock and began coughing.

"Oooh, how cute! You don´t have to get all jealous because of that!", Nikita laughed.

"He´s a friend, not my _boy_friend!", Souji rectified.

"Yeah, yeah, I got ya.", Nikita said, nodding.

"And... what exactly is Yosuke´s job around here?", Souji asked.

"Hmm? Oh, I think you´d better see it for yourself, kid. Should be any minute now...", Nikita said and took a look at his wrist watch. "What the...? They should have started two minutes ago already! Arrrrrgh, if I get my hands on them...!" He threw the cloth he had been using to clean the glasses to the side and stomped towards the other side of the bar where a small stage was situated.

Again, dozens of lust-filled glances were thrown at Souji who was already thinking about escaping when Nikita thankfully returned and scolded those `love-struck fools´, like he called them.

"Should be aaaaany minute now.", he said and continued cleaning the glasses. "You´re bofriend´s" (He ignored Souji´s glare) "gonna rock the house, kiddo."

The already darkened gay bar became even darker, and several spotlights illuminated the stage which was entered by several people, among them - to Souji´s surprise - Yosuke who was carrying a guitar with him.

"He´s... a band member?", Souji stammered while the band started playing.

"Yap. And he´s pretty good at it, isn´t he?", Nikita said.

Souji only nodded while continuing to stare at Yosuke who was currently rocking the house in wonder.

"But since when...?"

"Hmm... I´d say he´d started playing here a few days after I had met you on the street.", Nikita said, lost in thought.

_`So a few days after we´d started at Tanaba University...´_

"Poor Kid. No other bar or pub wanted to have him. I´d observed him trying to get a job on the main street. They all thought he was just a kid without talent and didn´t even want to let him try first." He threw the cloth away again and started preparing new orders. "I´d offered him a job here a bit later. Had totally freaked out and refused at first, the lil´ homphobe!" He grinned in amusement.

"... I can totally imagine.", Souji said, still staring at Yosuke, and tried to imagine how Yosuke must have been to be able to play on stage, yet frightened at same time due to the prospect of dozens of men groping him. He choked on his drink a second time while laughing.

"He´d begged me back then not to tell his name to anyone.", Nikita remembered.

"And why did you tell me that you know Yosuke then?", Souji asked, voice still a bit choked.

"'cause I´d seen you enter the bar together with him so there´d been no use tryin´ to hide it. Just hadn´t realized who the one entering with him was exactly or I woulda bailed immediately.", Nikita answered. "Well, I guess it´s better this way. Now those nightmares about that `brat that´s going to ruin my life´ won´t haunt me at night anymore."

"Hmm..."

"And who knows... Maybe I can turn this fateful encounter into some kinda advantage for me.", Nikita added, grinning maliciously.

"... Huh?"

"Thou art I... And I am thou..."

_`FUCK NO! I´LL KILL YOU!´_, Souji thought in horror and choked on his drink a third time.

"Thou hast established a new bond..." The Devil Arcana appeared before his inner eye. "It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana..."

_`Philemon, wherever you may be right now... I´m going to kill you for that!´_

"Soooo, how about it? Can I interest you in a job here?", Nikita asked.

_`NO WAY IN HELL!´_"Wh-what kind of job?", Souji asked, having to put up with more visits for the sake of his Social Links.

"Escort Service.", Nikita answered and motioned to a secluded part of the bar where several young men were talking with much older ones.

"..."

"No need to be scared. That job only includes talking with poor, lonely old gentlemen, nothing more.", Nikita assured him. "With your looks you could be a hit, my boy!"

"..." Souji only continued to stare at the secluded area. _`It´s for the Social Link! For the Social Link! For the Social Link!´_ "... Deal."

"Really? I thought you´d drive a harder bargain than that!", Nikita laughed. "You won´t regret it, sweetie, I swear! And I´ll try to arrange your schedule so that you´ll always have Yosuke-chan at your side! And _`Mama Nikita´_will be taking goooooood care of you as well!"

_`Woohooo...´_

~.~.~.~

"So...?", Yosuke asked hesitantly on their way back home in the streetcar.

"`So´, what?", Souji asked, a little bit gruffer than he had intended. He still couldn´t believe he had actually agreed to work at that place.

"Is that proof enough for you?", Yosuke asked again.

"Huh?"

"Well... you _did_suspect me, didn´t you?", Yosuke said.

"Yeah. You were always away at night and didn´t tell us where you were going after all. What else was I supposed to think!", Souji said.

Yosuke looked to the side. "Wasn´t exactly something I could just tell you.", he said. The streetcar came to a halt at Tanaba Station where they exited. "Just imagine what everyone else would have to say to that! Especially Kanji and Chie! Oh God!"

"Well, it would serve you right, I guess.", Souji opined.

Yosuke looked at him, alarmed.

"Don´t worry. I won´t tell anyone.", the silver-haired Fool promised him and felt that the Magician Social Link had just been strengthened.

"Th-thanks.", Yosuke said.

"And now that we´re talking about suspecting people: What were those notices you had been hiding from me?", Souji asked.

"... Huh? Oh, that! They´re sheets of the new song I´m currently working on.", the music-loving man said.

"So I guess you don´t intend to be the next manager of Junes, huh?", Souji said.

"Huh?"

"Well, like Chie had once said, literature and music and really a fitting combination if you want to be the next manager."

Yosuke looked to the side. "O... Of course I´ll... be the next manager...", he stammered.

"... Yosuke?"

"Music... Music´s... just a hobby after all. Nothing more.", Yosuke said, a fake smile on his face.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really!", Yosuke replied and looked at his wrist watch. "Oh shit! Come on, we gotta hurry or Bagman´s gonna skin us alive!" He began to run, followed by Souji who only sighed.

_`Guess it will take some work to make him realize it...´_, the silver-haired thought.

~.~.~.~

Dark Naruto: Yes, I had forgotten to add the theme. It´s added in this chapter, though. Sorry!

Light Riku: Don´t worry. I usually read everything. It´s only that I post answers every time when I post a new chapter so you´ll always have to wait until then.

anonymous: If you hate Bagman with a passion, then maybe it´d be better if you quit reading now. ^^; Believe me, Bagman will get more and more annoying later on in the story.


	60. Chapter 60: Chapter 60

_**Chapter 60**_

Souji sighed - like he had done so often since the day he had enrolled in Tanaba University - and booted up his laptop. Teddie was sitting next to him in front of Yosuke´s laptop, absorbed into the online RPG RuneScape where he was slaughtering one digital monster after the other while Yosuke was sitting in the kitchen, speaking quietly with his father over the phone.

This had become Yosuke´s main occupation after he´d recovered from the shock of the previous days: As soon as his seminars were over, he would hurry back to their lounge in order to talk to his father for hours, both trying to encourage and cheer each other up, both sure that Mrs. Hanamura would soon be back and everything would be alright once again.

What had Souji especially in awe was the strong solidarity between those two since Mr. Hanamura wasn´t his real father, but his stepfather.

_I´ve got an important soccer match tomorrow, Dad. , the eight years old Souji Seta said to his father, both sitting at the dining table. Souji drank the the cup of fruit tea that his mother had made for him, but which he couldn´t stand at all._

_Oh, sure, sure, Souji... , Mr. Seta mumbled absentmindedly, too absorbed into the reading the newspapers. Love, don´t forget that we have an important meeting tomorrow with the Edogawa´s! , he said to Mrs. Seta._

_But...! , Souji tried to protest, but then hung his head low when he noticed that they were already ignoring him again._

Another sigh, followed by a sudden pang of jealousy which Souji immediately tried to quench by shaking his head.

The laptop had finally finished booting up.

_Mom, I´ll go to my room to slit my wrist´s now... _

_Alright, honey. But don´t forget to come back to down for dinner at eight o'clock. _

Souji stared at the laptop screen with glassy eyes, his fingers automatically typing the address of the site he wanted to visit, but was shaken out of his stupor when Yosuke suddenly spoke behind him.

"_`Ai Shiteru´_?", Yosuke read with a puzzled look, having just re-entered the bedroom. "How did you manage to find that site, Partner?"

Souji nearly jumped up in shock and stared behind him at Yosuke. "... You know that site?", Souji asked, being fully aware that he had only found the site that day since he´d analyzed Yosuke´s laptop without asking that day.

"Uh... Well...", Yosuke said, looking quite embarrassed. "It´s a good site to practice flirtin´ a little bit, you know... and, well... gather some experience in that regard." He looked to the side while storing away his mobile phone. "But, it looks like I won´t need what I learned anymore..."

_`Ikas...´_, Souji only thought.

"BEAR-PILE ON THE ENEMY!", Teddie yelled all of a sudden and proceeded to punch the living daylights out of the laptop´s keyboard in order to slay a group of dinosaurs.

"H-hey, stop that this instant!", Yosuke screeched and jumped at the blond Shadow to save his laptop.

Souji just grinned, the somewhat tense atmosphere vanished in an instant, and stared at his laptop again, only to realize that were already quite a few messages from a certain someone:

_- Garu´s Traitor: Yo, stud muffin! U´re finally baaaack! I was sooo lonely! T-T_

_- Garu´s Traitor: ... and also quite hor- uuuh, TIHIHIHI! *^.^*_

_- Garu´s Traitor: So, how´s my sexy bitch? :3_

_._

_._

_._

_- Garu´s Traitor: U there?_

_._

_._

_._

_- Garu´s Traitor: *knock, knock*_

_._

_._

_._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Heeeeeeeloooooooooooooo! Ai am Lindsaaaaaiiiiii Lohaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!_

_._

_._

_._

_- Garu´s Traitor: Nobody knows Jeff Dunham these days anymore! ;_;_

_._

_._

_._

_- Garu´s Traitor: GOD DAMNIT! GIVE ME ATTENSHIUN NAOOOO!_

_._

_._

_._

_- Garu´s Traitor: ... Snake?... Snake?... SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKEEEEEEE!_

"*snrk*..."

"- my laptop one more time, I swear I´ll- Huh? Is Yukiko somewhere in here?", Yosuke asked, still in the middle of punishing Teddie, and looked around.

"Um... No, she´s not.", Souji hurriedly answered and looked back at the screen.

_- Garu´s Traitor: Answer me already, u stupid asshole! OR ELSE I´LL USE THAT 4CHAN SLANG I´VE LEARNED FROM MY SON! DO IT FAGGOT! :/_

_- KnuddelsForever: You got a son?_

_- Garu´s Traitor: FUCKIN´ FINALLY! DO U THINK THAT´S THE GENTLEMAN´S WAY TO TREAT A BEAUTIFUL LADY LIKE THAT? RAAAAAAAAAAGEEEEEEEE!_

_- KnuddelsForever: Most gentleman can be found in England. I´m Japanese._

_- Garu´s Traitor: ... Touché._

_- KnuddelsForever: You got a son?_

_- Garu´s Traitor: Yeeees, he´s such a cute, little doll! Ooooh, he´s got those cute, little red cheeks that I could just pinch all day long! My son! My pride! MY RETIREMENT PROVISION! X3_

Yosuke who was now also reading what Garu´s Traitor was writing made a vomiting noise.

"... What´s wrong?", Souji asked.

"... Nothing. That... just reminded me of a certain someone...", Yosuke managed to choke out, whacked Teddie one more time and then turned towards the door. "Well, whatever. Kou and I are gonna go out partying a bit. You interested in coming along?"

"Nah, I´ll pass. I think I´d rather stay here today sitting in front of the laptop all day.", Souji answered, continuing to chat.

"Okay. But don´t blame me if you end up the same way like that guy sitting next to you.", Yosuke replied and left the room.

"That stupid Yosuke´s finally gone!", Teddie grumbled. "And I´ll be having a nice day with Sensei in front of the laptop!" He threw a hopeful glance at Souji. "Sensei, do you want to play RuneScape?"

"Nope.", was the immediate answer.

"Awww..." Teddie looked to the ground in sadness, but jumped up the next moment happily, shouting: "Yesss! My skill level has increased! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Souji shook his head in amusement and turned back towards the screen of his laptop once again.

~.~.~.~

"That is all for today.", Chidori Yoshino said towards her secretary and her colleague Akihiko who nodded in approval and left the room together with Mitsuru Kirijo who had also been present during the conference.

"You´re really not the talkative type.", Mitsuru opined while walking back together to Akihiko´s office.

"Well, my services as this university´s director are only required until the culprit is captured.", Akihiko replied, shrugging, entered the office and sat down together with her on the couch where Koromaru was already waiting for them, his tail wagging excitedly. "After that I´ll just be a normal police officer and Chidori will have to lead this university on her own." He scratched Koromaru who had gotten a bit long in the tooth during the past years behind his ears, the white dog now lying in Mitsuru´s lap, yawning. "It´s better if I leave managing those conferences to her so that she can get as much experience as possible while there´s still someone there to back her up if she makes mistakes."

"I see. That is a pretty good idea.", Mitsuru agreed. "By the way, where´s Iori? I haven´t seen him at all."

"He´s still _working_.", Akihiko answered, accentuating the word `working´.

"I see."

"Though I´m not sure how much _work _he´ll be able to get done today. He´s been nagging me all morning today about how that date is going to be the worst one ever. Has been shaking like a little kid the whole time.", Akihiko sighed.

"Date?", Mitsuru repeated in question and leaned against Akihiko´s shoulder.

"Yap. It looks like janitor Iori and director Yoshino are starting to get a little bit intimate with each other."

"Hmm... I had feared so.", Mitsuru said. "I just hope it doesn´t end in a catastrophe once again."

"Don´t worry, I´m sure they´ll be fine. There´s no asshole named Takaya or Jin around to get in their way anymore, after all. And the fact that he´s been worried all day means that he´s learned a thing or two.", Akihiko said.

"Speaking of `learning´...", Mitsuru said and opened her far too big handbag. Several Neo Evokers where inside it. "Those are for Seta and his friends."

"So you think they might be able to summon Personas in our world?", Akihiko asked.

"Well, I´m sure not all of them will have the required Potential. But if at least one of them has the talent, then that can be only to our advantage.", Mitsuru replied. "The things that Adachi person had said - how Shadows may once again appear in our world - worry me. We should be as thoroughly prepared as possible."

"Just how are we going to test them? Ikutsuki who had always taken care of that is no more, and we´ve dissolved most the Shadow researching groups.", Akihiko reminded her.

"The same way I had tested Seta.", Mitsuru replied.

"I see. Brute force, eh?", Akihiko said and grinned.

"We´ll test them as soon as Yamagishi´s back.", Mitsuru said. "According to what you have told me, there is someone among their group that has the same talent as Yamagishi." Akihiko nodded. "I want them to fight against the ones of our group that corresponds to them, meaning Yamagishi against the one among them that can also send Shadows and the likes. That should be the best way for them to learn."

"So I´ll be fighting Tatsumi, huh...", Akihiko said. "But there are two of them that can use Bufu! What about them?"

"Hmph! Do you really think I won´t be able to handle two opponents at once?", Mitsuru replied, a glint in her eyes.

Akihiko swallowed nervously. _`I pity those two already...´_ "... One of them also concentrates on physical attacks only. What about him?"

"Hm... That would have been Aigis´ job...", Mitsuru mumbled, lost in thought. "But we´d lost all contact with her in Inaba, after all..."

"... In Inaba?", Akihiko asked. "That´s the first time I´ve heard of it!"

"Yes. Amada and Yamagishi had been able to find out that much.", Mitsuru said. "I thought I had told you. I´m sorry."

"Don´t sweat it.", Akihiko said and kissed her temple.

"Well, their group is far bigger than our group. A few of us will have to take care of two of them at once, I guess.", Mitsuru said. "Since this isn´t about winning or anything so trivial as that, it shouldn´t be a problem." She smiled. "What I´m more interested in is how it will affect them."

"... What do you mean?", Akihiko asked.

"Judging from what you have told me about your visits in this TV world, it seems that this world is very much the same as the Abyss of Time - a place that reacts to one´s feelings and wishes.", Mitsuru explained. "It could be that the time they have spend in that world has slowly been starting to affect them and their Personas. And if that´s the case, it could very well take a certain effect on their abilities in our world once they summon their Personas here. Just imagine this: Bufu users being able to freeze things with their mere presence. Something like that."

"Hmm... Interesting.", Akihiko said, a familiar grin appearing on his face.

Mitsuru leaned against him some more. "You know, you´ve changed a bit since you have entered the TV world. You´re a little bit more like you used to be."

"Is that good or bad?", Akihiko asked, puzzled.

"Good, Akihiko.", Mitsuru said, gently shoving Koromaru to the side, and sat on Akihiko´s lap. "Very good, indeed..."

~.~.~.~

Surrounded by water... crystal clear water... so wonderful dark blue... This was her home, her realm... her haven...

Whenever she felt any kind of pain, she could rely on this haven to embrace her with open arms, like a worried mother would her child. Whenever everything just got too much for her to bear, she could gather new strength here. Whenever she had lost all hope, she could return here and gather new one...

Slowly, she stretched her weak limbs and traced all those gashes that covered her body. Her eyes opened, perceiving the crystalline area around her. Every wall was a dark blue, though if someone tried hard enough, they could see the glimmer of something that was hidden beneath it.

Yes, this was really her realm, being a perfect mirror of her. Just one thing was still missing to make everything perfect...

"Y... Y... Yosuke... san...", she mumbled, before her eyes closed due to exhaustion once again.

~.~.~.~

The next night the friends entered the TV world a third time to search for Fuuka. During their second visit they had managed to conquer two more blocks without any problems so that they had now reached the fourth block, the golden shimmer of those corridors nearly hurting their eyes.

"I hope Naoto gets better soon.", Chie said while keeping her eyes open for enemies despite them hurting badly.

"Yeah. Pretty inconvenient that she´s gotta be sick now.", Kou agreed, as always analyzing her body´s physical attributes.

"And Patty-chan´s not with us anymore either!", Teddie added. "We´re getting short in people who are able to fight and it´s getting lonely! Beary sad..."

Shortly after the battle against Shadow Kanji a miserable Patty had announced that she wouldn´t enter the TV world anymore since she had realized that she just wasn´t capable to withstand all that stress. She had been willing to help them, but being willing to and actually doing it had been proving to be two entirely different things. The moment she really had to give it her all, her body had just refused to move. She had told them that it may have something to do with something she had experienced during her childhood, but had refused to tell them anymore.

She had managed to summon her Persona during the training, but those battles had only been against extremely weak enemies that Souji´s Persona could have defeated with a sneeze.

And now Naoto was also unable to fight due to illness. She had opened the door to her lounge to let them enter the TV in her room, her face pretty pale and her nose running the whole time, and had told them straight out that they would have to go without her this time.

"Well, there´s nothing we can do about that. We only have time until the fog sets in.", Souji said. "We have to climb the tower even if there are some of us that have to stay back."

"Hah! Relax, man! I´ll take care of those Shadow wimps!", Kanji said, strutting around with his Persona Rokuten-Mao flying above him.

"Show-off...", Rise and Yosuke grumbled in unison and followed their leader deeper into the golden hell that was Tartarus´ fourth block.

~.~.~.~

Quiet coughing could be heard throughout Tanaba University´s dark corridors. Mr. Bagman was patrolling around that night, hobbling around the halls, one hand desperately clinging to his cane while the other was bracing against the wall.

"Again... in the TV world...", he panted. "Hopefully... not too long this time... Aki... hiko..." Staggering a little bit, he continued his patrol through the university, his far too pale faces getting more and more wrinkles with every passing minute. "If I were to encounter that person now... I wonder... would they be able... to destroy me now...?" He smiled miserably. "I guess so..." He suddenly could hear something a little bit ahead. _`Is that person... here?´_

As quietly as possible, he wobbled towards the destroyed PC where the noise was originating from, and threw a glance inside the ruins: There amongst the debris sat someone, leaning over something.

_`Is that...?´_, Mr. Bagman tried to concentrate to make out that person despite feeling quite nauseated and ready to pass out. _`No, that is...´_

The next moment the person who was sitting there jumped up and looked around the room frantically. "Who´s there?", the person said, and when they noticed Mr. Bagman "Baggy?"

"Hiro Sideu, would you please so kind as to explain to me what you are doing here at this late hour?", Mr. Bagman asked the person - Hiro Sideu - who stood there like a deer caught by the light of a car and was trying to hide something. "You know exactly that students are prohibited to leave their lounges during this hour! Think about the situation! Think about the murders!"

"I-I..."

"Ad then you even dare to enter the PC, too! Now students are allowed in here!", Mr. Bagman continued, letting his weary gaze wander through the room. He sighed. "As I thought. You´ve destroyed the circle by barging in here..."

"Circle?", Hiro repeated, puzzled, and looked around. "I don´t see any circle, Baggy! Sorry!" He set up his usual fake goofy smile. "Well, I´d better be off to bed now, right? And I promise I won´t do it again, Baggy! I´m really sorry! Bye-bye!" He wandered towards the exit.

"... Off to bed?", Mr. Bagman repeated and hit the floor with his cane once. "I think not."

Hiro had just reached the exit when he was thrown back into the PC by an invisible barrier.

"What the...?", the brown-haired one stammered and looked around in bewilderment.

"I think it is time we two have a serious talk.", Mr. Bagman said and entered the room as well now. Darkness started to seep from the old professor´s body and engulfed the room more and more. "Yesss... A nice, long talk, my dear... You still look quite young, I must say. Just perrrfect..." The old professor´s face that had seemed so weary just a few seconds ago suddenly turned quite malicious while leaning over Hiro who was still lying on the ground.

Seconds later, a loud scream could be heard, though it was too short and choked for anyone else in the university to be heard.

~.~.~.~

Aigis woke up from her meditation, startled, and looked from little Nanako who was happily playing with Jack Frost in the Velvet Room to her master Igor who was observing the other two happily.

"Did he... Bagman... Did he... again...?", she asked the long-nosed man who hid his face behind his hands and nodded. Aigis looked out of the window at the thick fog, barely hearing Nanako´s happy laughter. "... It´s my fault.", she finally said with a miserable voice. "If only I hadn´t let go of the key..."

"Such speculations won´t do anything, Aigis.", Igor reminded her. "Just remember: Everything has meaning. It happens, because it is meant to happen. Back then each one of you had received only one part of the key, so that you would realize what is really important through fighting each other. Letting go of that key was also meant to happen and will - even though the reason behind it is not apparent at the moment - lead the travelers to their destination... whatever destiny it may be." He stared at her for a while. "Though we had already discussed those things when I had found you in Inaba, didn´t we?"

"I know...", the blonde said and stared at Nanako. "But I just can´t help thinking like that... Everything that has happened after Izanami-no-Okami´s defeat could have been easily avoided, if only-"

"Amazing what one simple action can accomplish, isn´t it?", Igor chuckled and looked at the crystal ball in front of him. "And there still some stones in the river that haven´t started to move yet." He grinned. "I am sure it will get even more exciting soon, my child. Exciting, indeed..."

~.~.~.~

Author´s notes: Hmm... I don´t see any important questions this time in the new reviews. If I have missed one, just write it again. ^^;

There are some comments about Minako Arisato and Theodore, though. Since this fanfiction features the Minato Arisato side, there won´t be any appearance of characters on the female side. Sorry! Otherwise I would have quite happily included another certain someone (Minak´s Moon Social Link).

I already have planned out a whole other P4 fanfiction (that has P3´s female side included and Naoto as the new protagonist) and wanted to start on it a while ago, but I´d rather not start it until this one is finished.

Also, there was someone who had told me that the link for the soundtrack I had created was deleted. Is there anyone who would want that soundtrack anymore? If so, I´ll upload again. Otherwise that would be a waste of time. ^^;

Light Riku: Don´t worry. There´s no way you could bother me by asking things. Though I´m not willing to answer those questions yet (not giving all spoiler away just yet). ;)

Oh yeah, and before I forget it again: Thank you for your reviews, everyone! =)


	61. Chapter 61:Crazy race against the Reaper

_**Chapter 61: Crazy race against the Reaper**_

"And now open your mouth and say `Aaah´!", Yukiko who was leaning over Naoto´s bed, a bowl full of chicken broth, a spoon in the other, said.

"I-I... I don´t think... that was really necessary... Amagi-se-", Naototried to save herself, the smell of the broth causing real nausea this time.

If only she had known that Yukiko would play the nurse for her, she would have never used that onion and all that white powder to pretend she was sick.

If only she had known that this would have happened, she would have rather entered the TV world again, risking a meeting with her Shadow, rather than risking her life by eating that awful Mystery X!

But the moment the young detective opened her mouth, Yukiko struck lightning-fast and stuffed a spoonful of the broth down her throat. Load groans and gasps could by heard while Naoto was desperately trying to grab the glass of water that stood on her nightstand.

"Wh-what´s wrong, Naoto-kun?", Yukiko asked worriedly, not grasping the fact that her horrible culinary arts were the cause of Naoto´s pain. "Should I get you to the sickroom?"

Naoto only continued to wheeze, her eyes so full of tears that she couldn´t see the glass anymore and always missed it with her hand.

"Say something, Naoto-kun!"

Naoto tried to grab the glass again, only to accidentally punch it to the ground where it shattered to pieces. She groaned painfully before lying completely motionless in her bed.

"N-Naoto-kun...?", Yukiko asked, eyes huge.

No reaction.

"Naoto-kun!", Yukikoshouted, grabbed the young detective and slapped her as hard as possible.

Gasping, the detectiveslowly opened her eyes once again and stared at Yukiko, barely making out her silhouette.

"Thank God! What´s wrong?", Yukiko hysterically asked. Silent mumbles were her only answer. "... Huh?" She leaned a bit closer to catch what Naoto was saying.

"... Black-haired... witch..."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!"

~.~.~.~

"Waaaaaaaaaah!", Yosuke screeched in panic, he and his friends running through the fifth block of Tartarus, followed by a strange dark being, its body surrounded by chains and weilding two pistols.

"Did you really have to open that chest, Teddie!", Chie yelled at Teddie, out of breath.

"B-b-but it was such a nice golden one!", Teddie defended himself and dodged a Mudoon spell.

"And something like that definitely screams `trap´, dumbass!", Yosuke snapped at him.

"As nice and rare as it is to see you two agreeing with each other for a change - save the babbling for later and _RUN_!", Souji admonished them, reaching a junction and taking the right one, together with Kou and Adachi, while the others took the left one. The strange Shadow merely screamed loudly and split into two parts, each part following one of the two groups.

"Ziodyne!", Kanji yelled, but the thunder attack that Rokuten-Mao threw at the enemy merely caused it to stagger for a few seconds!"

"Aww, man! Get the fuck away!", Kou whined from the other direction and made his Persona Siegfried crush one of the walls that immediately caved in, the debris supposed to cut off the Shadow- at least for a few seconds, before it destroyed the obstacle using Megidoloan.

"What the...?", Kou stammered. "If this continues, it´s going to destroy the whole dungeon!"

Another junction followed, Souji and Kou choosing the right one while Adachitook the left one this time. The Shadow split into two again to follow all of them.

At the same time Kanji´s Persona had destroyed some of the ground, making the Shadow fall downstairs. The creature tried to get back to the floor, but Chie´s Persona had already destroyed the ceiling above the hole, the debris covering it while Teddie froze and thus strengthened the rocks with a Bufula attack.

"Phew... We got rid of it...", Yosuke sighed in relief, but jumped up the next moment when a bony hand struck threw the frozen ground.

"C´mon, get a move on!", Chie yelled and continued to run together with the others, Kanji throwing as many Ziodyne spells as possible at the hand to stall the creature as long as he could.

"Damnit! Where the hell is the lift?", Yosuke screeched.

"Forget the lift! Where´s my Senpai?", Rise whined.

As if on cue, the friends reached the lift when they rounded the corner, Adachi already inside it.

"Let us in! Let us in! Let us iiin!", Yosuke cried out and hammered against the iron rods that were blocking their way inside the lift.

"Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!", Adachi only cried as an answer, and only now did the friends notice with horror that not only Adachi was stuck in the elevator, but also the part of the Shadow that had been chasing him.

"Fuck! Let´s get outta here!", Akihiko shouted and turned around, followed by the others.

"Hey! Is that your thanks for me showing you the way!", they could hear Adachi shouting after them while dodging the Shadow´s attacks as best as he could.

"You won´t die anyway, as long as your real body´s fine in the real world!", Kanji shouted at him, managing to make a break for it before the Shadow that had managed to get through the frozen ground could catch them.

Seconds later, Souji and Kou came running from another direction and re-joined them, the Shadow that had been following those two merging with the Shadow that had been chasing the rest of them.

"... Did that thing just get bigger?", Kou asked the others in disbelief.

"Huh?", Teddie asked, puzzled.

"I think it got bigger the moment they merged with each other!", Kou explained, exhausted.

"Huh... So does that mean it also gets stronger when they merge and weaker when it splits?", Chie asked. The others stared at her with huge eyes. "... What?"

"Everybody! Split up!", Souji yelled and ran into a small junction while the others stayed on the path. The Shadow split up again in order to followed all of them.

~.~.~.~

"Hmm...", Naoto mumbled in her bed - her clothes now drenched in broth due to Yukiko throwing it at her in a rage fit -, hovering over a piece of paper. "141389..."

"What´s that?", Yukiko asked happily, already having forgotten the incident from a few minutes ago, while cleaning the floor that was also full of broth.

"It´s phone number Adachi-san had given me back then.", Naotoexplained. "I´m sure that number is supposed to tell me something. He had been making fun of my skills as a detective a few seconds after giving it to me."

"Are you sure he was referring to that number?"

"I´m certain.", Naoto replied.

"Hmm..." Yukiko leaned over her shoulder and took a peek. "A... D... A... C... H... I... Adachi!"

"... Excuse me?"

"Well, if you take the numbers as coordinations for letters in the alphabet, they form the name _`Adachi´_.", Yukiko explained.

"How did you...?", Naoto started, staring at the piece of paper.

"Oh, the riddle book Chie had bought me is full of such riddles! It´s how I had found out about `Ikas´ meaning `Saki´ if spoken backwards, too.", Yukikosaid, once again cleaning the floor.

Naoto only stared at her for a while, before saying: "Amagi-senpai... have you ever thought about entering the field of work of detectives?"

~.~.~.~

"Zionga!", Soujiyelled, destroying the strange Shadow that had now split into dozens of different parts to keep up with friends, thus weakening itself further and further. The Fool sighed in relief, but jumped up when he heard a scream, followed by a rather loud noise. "Rise!" _`Damn! I´d totally forgotten that she can´t defend herself!´_

Panic-stricken, he ran through the corridors, nearly running into Akihiko who was also still chased by Shadow. Another Zionga spell and that part was defeated as well, both silver-haired man storming through Tartarus´ fifth Block in order to find the teenie idol.

"Get away! Get away! Get awaaaay!", they could hear Rise yell not far away from them.

Following her voice, they rounded a corner and spotted Rise who was dodging the strangely moving Shadow´s attacks. "Agh!", she shouted and jumped to the side, the Shadow running in sinuous lines and crasing against a wall.

"Assault Dive!", Kou yelled, having caught up as well, and destroyed the Shadow.

"Phew... Thanks, Senpai!", Rise thanked Souji, completely ignoring the fact that it had been Kou saving her, and clung to Souji.

Kou just rolled his eyes.

"... Was I imagining things or did that Shadow seem kinda drunk?", Akihiko asked, the rest of the group reaching them as well.

"I think so.", Kou opined.

"Oh, I´ve just thrown a Pulinpaattack at it, is all.", Rise said and begrudgingly let go of Souji again.

"Again?", Chie asked.

"Well, back then when Yukiko-senpai´s Shadow had tried to attack Souji-senpai, it had worked, too.", Rise said, shrugging, and smirked. "Just you wait! Soon I´ll be throwing Megidoloan attacks randomly at enemies!"

Yosuke just snorted in disbelief as they started walking towards the elevator.

"I wonder just what the hell that thing was s'pposed to be.", Kanji wonders.

"That´s the Reaper that wanders through Tartarus.", Akihiko answered. "I hadn´t thought we would meet it in something that is only supposed to look like Tartarus, though."

"Reaper?", Chie repeated questioningly.

"It´s an especially powerful Shadow that appears if one stays to long on one of the floors. It always re-appears, no matter how many times you kill it. Seems like it´s taken a liking to hiding in chests now as well."

"Hmm..." Souji thought back to the chest he had once found inside Adachi´s dungeon. He hadn´t opened it though, since it had shaken quite suspiciously. He shuddered, thinking about how they could have encountered that think back then if he hadn´t hesitated then. He looked to the side and noticed how Teddie was suddenly hovering over something. "... What are you doing there, Teddie?"

"Opening this nice golden chest here.", the blond Shadow replied happily.

WHACK!

After some much deserved clouts for him, they proceeded towards the elevator- or at least what was left of it.

"There you are! Finally!", Adachi grumbled, standing in front of the destroyed elevator, and started climbing the rope that led to the next and last block.

The others just sighed and followed him up to the sixth block.

~.~.~.~

When Souji entered the cafeteria together with his roommates the next morning to get some breakfast, he noticed with relief that Naoto who was also there seemed to have recovered from her illness.

Shuddering just a little bit, he thought back to yesterday when they had left the TV world and meeting Yukiko who had told them that she had taken good care of Naoto and that she had made her some chicken broth. Judging from the smell that had filled the whole lounge, it seemed the broth had become some new kind of Mystery Food X, version Get-Better-Soon-Broth. It wouldn´t have really startled him, if Professor Yamagishi had suddenly woken up due to that stench and fled the room.

The next thing Souji registered while walking through the room was all that yarn that was spread over the table they usually all sat at. Not only he, but also the rest of the group and also some of the students that sat near them were all staring dumbly at Kanji who was sewing away quite happily, taking a bite of his toast every now and then, not noticing the odd stares aimed at him at all.

"Tatsumi, what exactly are you making?", Naoto asked interestedly and then looked up condescendingly when Souji sat down next to her.

"Oh, I thought I´d try makin´ a table cloth.", Kanji explained happily, finally noticing the stares, and waved his sewing needles around in warning. The stares stopped immediately. "A certain someone´s already destroyed six table cloths with all that smokin´! I ain´t got any desire to buy new ones all the time!"

"Smoking?", Yukiko repeated and stared at Kou, puzzled. "Do you smoke, Kou-kun?"

"Um...", Kou started in embarrassment. On the other side of the table Naoto stood up and sat down as far away from Souji - who was now staring at her dumb-founded - as possible. "From time to time, whenever I´m nervous."

"Been nervous quite often, huh?", Kanji said. "You´ve destroyed four table cloths in one week, man!"

"Well, why shouldn´t I be nervous! Exams are starting soon!", Kou defended himself.

"Oh fuck! You just had to mention it! I´ve been trying so hard to forget about that!", Yosuke groaned. "After that I´ve been Bagman´s favourite student for the longest time..."

"Failsuke...", Chie mumbled. Yosuke glared at her to which she responded with a kick.

"Ooooh, Yosuke-senpai and Chie-senpaiare playing footsie under the table!", Rise giggled. Both of them blushed crimson at once.

"I just hope I won´t fail in Yamagishi´s seminar...", Hiro who was sitting next to Yukikosighed miserably, but then smiled againlike usual. "Oh well, whatever! I´ll just charm her with my cute looks and my sexy voice if all else fails!"

"You and not passing, Hiro?", Patty who had given up getting information by acting all snotty and stuck-up laughed. "No way! You were the best one in your seminars last semester!"

"Oh yeah, baby! I know I´m just awesome like that!", Hiro chuckled and resumed eating his ham.

"Hiro-kun? What´s with that bruise on your shoulder?", Yukiko asked.

Hirowas wearing a sleeveless shirt today so the rather large bruise that had started turning blue was clearly visible.

"Huh?" Hiro looked at his shoulder. "Oh, you mean that! Hmm... No idea." He grinned while the others stared at him in disbelief.

"No idea?", Rise repeated.

"`No idea´ means `no idea´.", Hiro replied, shrugging, and winced when that movement hurt his wound. "Guess I´ve been sleepwalking last night and hurt myself in the process! And wouldn´t you know it, I´ve woken up in the PC! Bwahahaha!"

"The PC? Dude, you´re lucky Bagman didn´t find you!", Yosuke said. "He would haveskinned you alive!"

"Nah, Baggy´s not that bad like everyone thinks! I think he´s rather nice and cute!", Hiro replied happily.

"*Snrk*..."

"You really go after anything that doesn´t run away immediately...", Kou mumbled and shook his head.

"Well, just staring´s allowed, isn´t it?", Hiro replied, apparently having forgotten how often he´d already groped other people. "I would never betray my fiancé, after all!"

"... You... You´re engaged?", Naoto asked, baffled.

"Y-"

"H-hey, how did it go last night inside Tartarus?", Patty hurriedly interrupted the conversation, but stopped in shock when she realized what she had just said.

"... Tartarus?", Hiro asked, cocking his head to the side.

"It´s a new club in Toyko! Pretty popular already.", Soujiquickly lied, Rise and Chie nodding enthusiastically.

"Hmm... 'kay...", Hiro said and continued to eat his breakfast.

"W... Well, it got a little wild there yesterday.", Souji replied to the red-haired woman. "There was some uninvited guest there who just didn´t know when to leave us alone."

"Oh, I-I see.", Patty said, looking apologetic.

"So, exams start next week.", Naoto noted, checking her memo book. "I just hope Yamagishi-sensei gets better until then." She threw a questioning glance at Kanji.

"Y-yo, I guess so.", he said, startled that Naoto was giving him this much attention today.

"Then there are still two more weeks to go before our first semester ends.", Kou said. "It certainly went by fast."

"You can say that again.", Yosuke agreed.

"Well, even if Yamagishi´s not back until then, it won´t be a problem. Someone else will just take over that exam.", Hiro opined.

"But what about the exam questions? They still have to be made!", Yukiko objected.

"Hah! The Professors create those weeks before the exam starts.", Hiro explained. "Yamagishi-sensei´s probably stored them away in her office already."

"Hmm... That makes sense.", Souji said. _`Good thing we made sure that her office is locked.´_, he thought. _`Who know who´d try and steal those questions otherwise...´_

Hiro continued eating his breakfast, trying to tune out the throbbing pain in his shoulder as much as possible.

~.~.~.~

"Now there are already three of them...", Mr. Bagmanmumbled while enjoying breakfast on the terrace of his house. "The director of Inaba´s prison... the Fool... and now Sideu... Well, like they say: Third time´s a charm." He laughed maliciously as he deeply inhaled the stench that was wafting off the cadaver of his dead original. "Such a beautfiful odor..."

~.~.~.~

Author´s notes: I´ll repost the review I had written for that anonymous person here:

"Review under me: Since you´re not a member of this site, I can´t send you a Private Message, so I´ll just use a review to try and get the message to you (I will delete this review once I post the next chapter):  
This site here should show you perfectly why the Leonyasch account was closed:  
bulbanews(dot)bulbagarden(dot)net/ wiki/ False_ copyright_ claims_ suspend_ Chuggaaconroy%2C_ others_ from_ YouTube  
More and more copyright claims were starting to pile up (100 in an hour), so we had the choice to either let YouTube suspend us or end it ourselves. We´ve decided for the latter.  
We are currently thinking about giving it another try with another channel, but I doubt that´ll happen.  
- Jadegang"

Guibin: There are two categories on this site to which this fanfiction could belong: "Persona Series" and "Megami Tensei". I´ve posted it under both categories for that reason.

Oh, and before I forget it for the umpteenth time: My avatar is supposed to be Mr. Bagman. I saw that guy in Tales of Graces and thought: "He looks exactly like that pedo! 0.0"

Oh, and here a preview for the next chapter:

"The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate. Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yet, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Beyond the beaten path lies the absolute end. It matters not who you are... death awaits you." - Shadow Fuuka

Thank you for your reviews, everyone!


	62. Chapter 62: The golden gate

_**Chapter 62: The golden gate**_

Major battle alert! Theme for this battle: www (dot) youtube (dot) com / watch?v=U-y43U2tbsI (Danger Zone, Persona 3 Portable)

~.~.~.~

Akihiko shoved the curtains in Naoto´s lounge to the side and looked up at the moon which was nearly completely hidden by several dark clouds.

"Nearly midnight...", he mumbled and looked over to the rest of the Investigation Group that had gathered around the TV.

"Okay, we should be through Tartarus now.", Souji said. "According to Akihiko, there are six blocks, and the last time we we´ve been there, we had already reached the end of the sixth one." He looked at Naoto who hadn´t been present the last time. Begrudgingly, she returned his gaze and nodded grimly. "We have to expect a confrontation with Yamagishi-sensei´s Shadow this time. Although I wish we could end it before her Shadow goes berserk..." His gaze shortly wandered towards said professor who was still lying motionlessly in the bed that had once belonged to Rise. "Let´s go!"

The others nodded and turned towards the TV together with Akihiko.

"Are you sure you still want to accompany us, Akihiko-san?", Naoto asked the young director who nodded.

"Of course. Fuuka is one of my closest friends! I can´t just abandon her like that!", he said determinedly and then smiled. "Hah! If I hadn´t the talked the other members of S.E.E.S. out of it, they would be here as well, ready to rumble. One for all, and all for one..."

Souji smiled at him, but startled when Naoto threw a condescending glare at him. What was her problem with him lately?

"Okay, let´s get to it!", the silver-haired said, grabbed Akihiko´s arm and walked towards the screen.

"Be careful in there!", both Patty and Yukiko said in unison.

Souji nodded and disappeared into the TV world seconds later.

~.~.~.~

Mr. Bagman sat rather stiffly in his home office, several documents in front of him, when suddenly his chest started to hurt painfully.

"Ugh...!", he groaned and grabbed his cane that he never kept far away from him in panic. He took several deep breaths while trying to relax, his face getting more and more wrinkles, becoming older and older. "Again... Akihiko... you bad boy..."

Sweat ran down his face while he opened a drawer with the shaking hand that was clinging to the cane, taking two photos out of it: One of it was the usual picture that showed Nanako sitting on her father´s shoulder, holding the rag doll Jack Frost that Souji had once bought her. The other photo showed a younger smiling woman who was leaning against a tree, her belly rather large due to her pregnancy. Several people could be seen in the background, all of them having silver hair. One of them looked like a young Dojima.

"Family, huh...", he panted before tearing apart the photo of the young woman, the pieces catching fire in an instant. "Such sentimental nonsense..." His facial expression darkened. He started to pant more and more. "Akihiko... Miki..."

~.~.~.~

Blue shimmering candles illuminated the highest floor of Tartarus - the roof -, carried by countless of faceless dark figures in a circle, gathered around Shadow Fuuka who stood in the centre and her original who was chained to a cross made of wood that was floating in the air.

"Welcome toooo Fuuka´s _`Can you sacrifice it´_!", the Shadow greeted Souji and his friends with a squeaky voice and clicked its fingers.

Fuuka who had been unconscious until now woke up with a start, looking around with huge eyes. "Wh-what...? ... But... Tar... tarus?", she stammered, perplexed.

"Of course! What better place to choose than Tartarus, hell´s deepest abyss!", Shadow Fuuka chuckled.

Confused, the informatics professor stared at her hidden self. "You... You look just like me... But..."

A slight shudder went through the Shadow´s body during those words.

"Fuuka!", Akihiko yelled from the stairs and tried to run towards the green-haired woman. The Shadows holding the candles reduced the circle, effectively blocking the way to Fuuka.

"Akihiko?", Fuuka asked when she recognised the director. "Wh... What exactly is going on here? Why is Tartarus back again?"

"It-"

"To celebrate your greatest performance so far, of course!", Shadow Fuuka interrupted him, Akihiko´s voice having disappeared entirely for Fuuka. "Maybe now they´ll finally take notice of us, huh!"

"Wh-what are you talking about?", Fuuka asked. "Who are you?" Her body started shaking. "You look like me, yet still... Even without my Persona I can feel the malice radiating from your body... A Shadow..."

"So she´s not capable of summoning her Persona in this world either...", Akihiko mumbled and glared at Adachi who was observing Fuuka and her Shadow as if they were an especially interesting television program.

"No shadow, just like Tatsumi back then!", the former detective chuckled.

"Tell me this, Fuuka!", Fuuka´s Shadow began, ignoring her original´s question. "Did it hurt?"

"Wh-wha-?"

"It hurt, didn´t it?", the Shadow said, pouting. "You had to endure to ever since you were born. Those eyes, boring into your soul mercilessly, glaring you down. Treating you as scum. Those ice-cold eyes!" Fuuka stared at her Shadow. "Every member of the Yamagishi family is a doctor except you and your parents! Such a disgrace!"

"Yamagishi-sensei! Don´t listen to your Shadow!", Souji tried to warn the professor, but the faceless creatures blocked every sound that could have managed to reach Fuuka.

"Everyone in S.E.E.S. is a fighter type, only you have that useless Persona that can´t even fight!", Fuuka´s Shadow continued mercilessly. "Useless child!"

"That´s not true!", Fuuka defended herself. "Yes, my family may treat me like some worthless worm, but never my friends! They need me!"

"Of course they need you- and then throw you away afterwards, every single time...", her Shadow said.

"... Huh?"

"`Yamagishi, hack into the Kirijo family´s main comouter for me!´ `Fuuka, investigate what happened ten years ago at Gekkoukan High for me!´ `Fuuka-tan, how ´bout we two spend some time alone, eh!´ `Fuuka! The enemy´s weakness! Tell me!´", the Shadow aped several members of S.E.E.S. "A bunch of ungrateful, abusive assholes who turned away from you as soon as you had done for them what they wanted!"

"That´s no-"

"It _is_true!", Shadow Fuuka interrupted her angrily. "Everyone only ever stared at _him_, everyone adored _him_!" It became angrier and angrier. "WHAT THE HELL IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT HIM! WHAT DOES HE HAVE THAT WE DON´T THAT MAKES EVERYONE LOOK UP TO HIM, HUH!"

"Fuuka, you... Are you serious...?", Akihiko asked, shocked, staring up at the Shadow and its original. "_Those_ are your true feelings?"

"Stop talking about Minato-kun like that!", Fuuka yelled at her Shadow. "He doesn´t deserve you talking ab-"

"Of course he deserves it!", her Shadow interrupted her irately. "Of course, one could argue that he didn´t want all that- that he didn´t try to get so popular and wrap everyone around his finger! BUT THAT´S NOT THE CASE!" Sparks started to emanate from its body. "He was an arrogant asshole who exploited his friends over and over again!"

Naoto froze dead in her tracks, the Shadow´s words resounding deep within her, her gaze wandering towards Souji.

"And he also did the same thing to us!", Shadow Fuuka continued.

"That´s not true!", Fuuka shouted.

"Of course it´s true! You´ve seen the proof years ago after we´d defeated Erebus and had awoken inside the Velvet Room, Fuuka! Did you already forget about all of that! Social Links! Social Links! SOCIAL LINKS! Day in and day out! That´s the only thing that had mattered for that jerk when had spent time with us! Don´t you get it!"

"... What the hell are Social Links?", Kanji asked and looked questioningly at the others.

Souji and Akihiko merely gulped while Naoto´s body started shaking with anger.

_She´s just like us, Naoto-kun. _

Naoto startled.

_A victim... Just like us... _

_`Stop...´_, the young detective thought, panic-stricken.

_Should we back her up, hmm? Should we help her fight? Come on, Naoto-kun~... _

"N... No...", Naoto stammered and sank to the ground.

"... Naoto?", Souji asked and knelt down next to her.

"Get away from me!", the young detective snarled and shoved him away from her. _`And you stay wherever you are!´_

_Hmph... As you wish! But you can´t suppress me forever, and you know it, Naoto-kun. Someday I __**will**__ get the upper hand... _

"Minato-kun was not that kind of person!", Fuuka screamed hysterically at her Shadow in the meantime.

"He was, and there´s no denying it! Self-aggrandizing bastard!", Shadow Fuuka shouted, her eyes gleaming threateningly. "And just to top it all, he had managed to make himself known to everyone as `the hero who sacrificed himself´ forever, thus assuring that we would never break free from his shadow! Hah! Such an asshole!"

"SILENCE!", Fuuka screamed, tears in her eyes. "You dare...!"

"Yes, I dare! Oh, come on, Fuuka! It _is_ the truth, after all! That´s how we feel!", her Shadow replied indifferently.

"`That´s how we feel´?", Fuuka repeated irately. "You´re not-"

Souji held his sword at the ready.

"Enough talk, Fuuka dear!", her Shadow interrupted her, turned around and looked up at the full moon. "Come on out, Nyx! Show yourself! We still have to finish sacrificing our sorry ass!"

"Fuuka...", Akihiko said, sadness and disappointment evident in his voice.

"Maybe once we´ve sacrificed ourselves as well, those loserrs´ll finally take notice of us!", the Shadow yelled and laughed.

"Stop talking about `us´ and `we´!", Fuuka snapped at her Shadow. "You´re not me! You´ll never be me!"

A short tremor passed through Tartarus, followed by a second one and a third one. More and more tremors came up until Tartarus was finally shaking non-stop.

"... Not you?", the Shadow repeated and turned back to Fuuka, tears in its eyes. "So even you would reject me, Fuuka? How cold-hearted..." The next moment it sank into the ground, together with those faceless creatures and the candles, darkness descending over Tartarus.

"What the...?", Chie said, puzzled. "Where did the Shadow go?"

There was a short clattering before the shackles that had bound Fuuka to the cross had disappeared, and the now once again unconscious Fuuka fell to the ground.

"Fuuka!", Akihiko shouted and stormed towards her.

"Sanda-san, wait!", Rise yelled after him. "Something´s not right! I can still feel the Shadow!"

But Akihiko didn´t listen to her and continued to run. Having nearly reached her, he wanted to kneel down, when suddenly something big and golden - illuminating Tartarus´ roof immediately - shot out of the floor and knocked him to the side.

"What the-?", Kou stammered and stared at the giant golden gate that was slowly rising out of the ground.

"Hah! Oh, wow! The door that sealed away Nyx!", Adachi shouted in amazement.

The door suddenly opened slowly and squeakily, several hands filled with pure darkness coming out of it and grabbing Fuuka.

"No! Get your hands off her!", Akihiko yelled and tried reaching Fuuka again. Some more hands merely stopped him, chocked him and threw him to the side.

Fuuka had been carried inside the gate which had closed again.

"I am a Shadow, the true self!", Shadow Fuuka´s distorted voice could be heard from the gate.

The friends stared up at the golden face that adorned the door: It was the face of a young man who held his hands protectively in front of door as if he was trying to keep everyone and everything away from the gate.

"Minato...", Akihiko gasped, staring up at the figure as well.

"How dare you!", Shadow Fuuka screamed in rage fit. Several hands shot out of the doors itself, grabbed the figure and forced it inside the door. "You´re supposed to look only at _me_!" Shadow Fuuka´s now golden face replaced Minato´s sculpture, grinning like a lunatic. "I am a Shadow, the true self!", it repeated. "Look! Look at me! I´m a much better sacrifice! Why are you all staring at him? What does he have that I don´t? He became a giant door? Big deal! I can do that, too! Come on, LOOK AT ME ALREADY, YOU BASTARDS!"

"What in the world...?", Akihiko stammered, staring up at the Shadow´s face. "Fuuka, how could you...?"

"Activating Duel Mode!", Shadow Fuuka´s face cackled, and green light engulfed the roof. "Initiating Party Mode!" A blue light engulfed Souji. "Leader: Souji Seta! Please choose the other three party members immediately."

"Again?", Chie groaned.

"I choose Teddie, Kanji and Yosuke!", Souji yelled.

All four chosen ones were drawn to the gate seconds later.

"Hmph!" Shadow Fuuka stared at Yosuke and Teddie. "An interesting choice..." Its grin broadened. "First turn: Shadow Fuuka!" The four friends visibly tensed while Shadow Fuuka now held up her hands like it was going to pray. "The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate. Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yes, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed." The Magician Arcana appeared above the gate. "Attaining one´s dream requires a stern will and unfailing determination." The Arcana fused with the gate, a gentle voice whispering `Magician´. The gate suddenly opened once again, creating some kind of maelstrom that sucked in a loudly screeching Yosuke before it closed once more.

"Yosuke!", Souji shouted in horror. Chie had been replaced by Yosuke in battle. "What the...? Where is Yosuke?"

"Next turn: Souji Seta!", Shadow Fuuka shouted, ignoring the question.

Souji threw a glance at Rise who had already summoned her Persona. "The Shadow´s Arcana is... Hmm...", Rise mumbled. "It´s Sun- N-no, Magician? I-I... I dunno!" Her face scrunched up in concentration. "I´m almost certain the Shadow´s Arcana is Sun, but for some reason the Magician Arcana is placed over it, like a veil!", she tried to explain. "It´s like it´s using the Magician Arcana to shield the Sun one! It´s weak to ice attacks!"

"Rakunda!", Souji shouted, Izanagi instantly lowering the Shadow´s defense.

"Next turn: Chie Satonaka!"

"Tarukaja!", Chie yelled, her Persona strengthening Teddie.

"Next turn: Teddie!"

A Bufula attack was thrown at the gate that suddenly opened and swallowed the attack. A scream was to be heard.

"What was that?", Kou asked. "D´you think Yosuke was hit instead?"

"No, that didn´t sound like Yosuke at all!", Souji tried to reassure him.

"ONE MORE!", Shadow Fuuka shouted, voice choked. The inside of the gate let out another scream when Teddie hit it with a second Bufu spell.

"Next turn: Kanji Tatsumi!"

A Cruel Attack hit the gate seconds later.

"Next turn: Yosuke Hanamura!"

"Huh?"

The gate opened and spat out the persona Jiraiya which immediately threw a Garula spell at Souji.

"ONE MORE!", Shadow Fuuka screamed, Souji falling to the ground.

Another Garula spell hit the silver-haired man.

Jiraiya disappeared inside the gate again which opened another time to release a shapeless dark creature which seemed to be made up solely out of hands that carried sharp knives with them. One of those hands held up a scary-looking mask with blank eyes through which it seemed to be able to perceive its surroundings.

"That´s...!", Akihiko gasped in horror.

The creature threw its knives in the air, all of them crashing down on the four friends seconds later. The being disappeared into the gate again.

"Next turn: Souji Seta!"

"... Marakukaja...", Souji groaned, strengthening the party´s defense.

"Bufu!", Chie shouted.

Another scream could be heard before the door finally spat out Yosuke who stood up on shaky legs.

"Ugh... That was just... disgusting in there...", the music-loving managed to choke out in disgust and hurriedly ran towards the other members of the group that weren´t fighting.

The Magician Arcana suddenly shot out of the gate and exploded.

"The Magician shield disappeared! Its only Arcana is Sun now, Senpai!", Rise informed them.

"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... The silent voice within one´s heart whispers the most profound wisdom.", Shadow Fuuka announced and held up its hands once more. The Priestess Arcana appeared above the gate and fused with it, a gentle voice whispering `Priestess´.

"What? Now it´s got some kinda Priestess shield protecting it!", Rise warned them. "Be careful, Senpai! It´s weak to fire now!"

Souji fired a Zionga attack at the gate which let out a soft gasp, apparently having taken next to no damage.

A physical attack from Chie, a healing spell from Teddie and another physical attack from Kanji later, the door open another time and this time released a barely clothed Shadow wearing a mask. The creature screamed loudly, and suddenly two smaller Tiara Shadow appeared that positioned themselves protectively in front of the door that had closed one again.

"It´s calling backup! Hurry and defeat it!", Rise snarled.

~.~.~.~

"They´ve reached the top.", one of the two individuals that were guarding the true golden gate said towards Mrs. Hanamura who had arrived in front of the true gate as well.

"They could really be in for a long and hard battle this time. Right?", Yosuke´s mother said, staring up at the gate with glassy eyes.

"Considering the victim and their hidden feelings this time, that will probably be the case.", one of the two individuals said, wearing a black cloak.

"Let us pray. that they´ll manage to solve this situation as well.", the first person said, wearing a lift attendant uniform.

"We need not pray.", the person in the cloak objected. "The Fool will never fail."

"In other words, our plan cannot fail.", Mrs. Hanamura said, pleased. "If we don´t need to pray for them to accomplish victory, then at least let us pray that there will be enough energy to open it this time..."

~.~.~.~

Author´s notes:

ZhaneX: You don´t need to leave a review for every single chapter you read. Just leaving one review to let me know that there´s someone out there who reads this is more than enough. ;)

Coldman9: Nah, I won´t particularly follow the attack set up from the game itself. Izanagi also isn´t able to use `Marakukaja´ in the game (unless you take hours to fuse it so or get lucky with the Magician Arcana), but Souji´s already used it against Shadow Kanji.

As always, thank you for your reviews, everyone!


	63. Chapter 63: Unexpected help

_**Chapter 64: Unexpected help**_

"Where... am I...?" Slowly and sluggishly Fuuka opened her eyes again to look around. But no matter how far she opened them, nothing but darkness greeted her. _`What is this?´_, the professor thought, puzzled, and tried to feel around, just to realize that her hands seemed to be chained to something, even though she could feel no devise to do something like that on her limbs. She tried to walk, but noticed that her feet didn´t meet the ground. She was completely captured. "Akihiko?", she shouted in slight desperation. "Seta-san? Hello?"

No answer.

Sighing, she hung her head, feeling a slight throb in her head.

"I wonder if this is how he feels all the time...", she finally wondered. "Day in, day out, captured in darkness... unable to move..." A scream made her look up a again. "Is someone there?", she asked hopefully when she suddenly spotted Souji Seta and three of his friends through a small gap in the darkness. "Help me..."

~.~.~.~

The gate slowly opened again after Souji and Teddie had defeated both Tiaras and Kanji had crushed the main Shadow with a Cruel Attack, assisted through a Tarukaja cast by Chie.

The half-naked Shadow was spat out seconds later and dissipated, the Priestess Arcana following shortly after and burning to ashes.

Shadow Fuuka held up her hands once more. "The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed...", the Shadow announced. "Celebrate life´s grandeur... its brilliance... its magnificence..." The Empress Arcana appeared and fused with the gate. "The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Only courage in the face of doubt can lead one to the answer..." The Emperor Arcana appeared shortly after and fused with the gate as well.

"What? Two shields now?", Rise shouted, puzzled. "Emperor and Empress are acting as a shield for the Sun Arcana now! It... it feels like... I just can´t describe it, sor-"

But she stopped in horror when a maelstrom sucked a loudly cursing Kanji into the gate that closed again. Naoto had been drawn into the battle as a replacement for Kanji.

"Rise! What´s the Shadow´s weakness?", Souji asked her.

"I-I...", Rise stammered and shook her head. "One on hand it´s weak against elemental attacks and strong against physical attacks, but on the other hand it´s weak against physical attacks and strong against elemental attacks!"

"Huh?" Yosuke looked at her as if she´d grown a second head. "Rise, you _do_ realize what you´ve just said, don´t ya?"

"Yes, I am aware of that, Yosuke-senpai, thank you very much! That´s exactly the reason why I´m so confused!", she growled at him.

"There are two Shadows this time!", Akihiko explained, standing on his feet again. "Each of them is weak against what the other one is strong against, and of course is strong against what the other is weak against!"

"But how-?"

The gate opened again and spat out two rather mechanical looking Shadows. The left Shadow was painted blue and wore a white coat, wielding a wand. The right one was painted red instead and looked like some sort of admiral with its strange dress and the sword it wielded threateningly.

"The red one is weak against elemental attacks in the beginning, the blue one is weak against physical attacks!", Akihiko continued to explain.

"Zionga!", Souji yelled, the attack hitting the red one seconds later.

"ONE MORE!", Shadow Fuuka bellowed, annoyed.

A physical attack hit the blue Shadow next.

"Next turn: Kanji Tatsumi!", Shadow Fuuka decided hurriedly.

"What? Hey, it´s my turn next, cheater!", Chie snapped when Rokuten-Mao was spat out and threw them all down with a Cruel Attack.

"ONE MORE!", Shadow Fuuka screeched triumphantly. Marakukaja was cast on the two Shadows that had withdrawn into the depths of the door, Kanji´s Persona remaining outside.

"Ugh! Why´s Kanji suddenly helping the enemy? Failsuke´s done the same thing a while ago!", Chie snorted.

"Hey!", Yosuke complained.

"Well, as far as I can analyze the situation, a Persona and its user is sucked in the moment the user´s Arcana and the Shadow´s Arcana match!", Rise tried to explain. "It´s cast an Empress and an Emperor shield over itself! Kanji-kun´s Persona is of the Emperor Arcana so he was sucked in since his Arcana and one of the Shadows´ Arcana match!"

_`Good thing none of us is Empress...´_, Souji thought, relieved. _`Two at once would a little bit too much.´_

"Next turn: Kanji Tatsumi!", Shadow Fuuka suddenly yelled.

"What? Have you ever heard of fair play!", Chie shouted angrily, Rokuten-Mao already throwing a Ziodyne spell at Teddie, followed by Matarukaja.

"_I´M_ the one deciding here! What _I_say, goes!", Shadow Fuuka laughed. The door opened again and the Empress and Emperor Shadow reappeared, ready to attack. "Next turn: Shadow Fuuka!"

Bitch!", Yosuke growled.

"You´re finished, losers!", Shadow Fuuka cackled, both Shadows and Kanji´s Persona raising their weapons, all of them aiming at Souji who was unable to move.

"SENPAI!", Rise shouted and closed her eyes in horror.

WAMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Groaning loudly, both the Shadows and the Persona were thrown to the side when a solid small and invisible wall had suddenly appeared between them and Souji.

"What the...?", Souji said and looked around in confusion.

"Damnit it all! GET HIM!", Shadow Fuuka ordered the Shadows and the Persona around. An explosion followed that threw the three enemies to the side. A loud GONG could be heard seconds later when something hard made contact with the gate that was Shadow Fuuka.

"Aagh!", Shadow Fuuka groaned when its massive body was slightly thrown back due to the collision.

"Humph! Pretty stubborn, ain´t ya?", the person that now stood in front of the gate said and rubbed one of their hands. "Oh man! My hand´s pretty sore because of you now, you fuckin´ piece of shit! If Patty sees that I got hurt, she´s really gonna be angry, and I´d rather not be there when that happens! And what the hell are you supposed to be anyway, huh? Some kinda almighty gate of wisdom, or what? You rather look like a pile of shit to me!"

"Hiro?", Souji shouted and stared dumbfoundedly at the young brown-haired man that had come to their help.

"Sideu´s cousin?", Akihiko said, yes huge.

"Hiya!", Hiro said happily and waved around his hands in greeting like an idiot. "Your Hiro is here to saaaaaave the day! *snrk* Get it? Your _Hiro_! Cool, huh?"

"Sideu! Behind you!", Naoto shouted in warning.

Hiro looked dumbly behind himself: The gate had opened again, a ball of pure energy having formed in it.

"DIE, ASSHOLE!", Shadow Fuuka screeched, firing the ball at Hiro.

"Fuck!", Kou shouted, unable to move like everyone else.

"Wooow! That´s a huuuge ball, if I do say so myself!", Hiro said, his smirk a mix between happy anticipation and lunatic delight, the ball mere centimetres away from him. "Now it´s gonna go BOOOOM!"

The ball reached and engulfed him.

"HIRO!", Souji shouted in horror.

"One taken care of...", Shadow Fuuka said, pleased, but looked up in horror when the ball of energy suddenly started moving towards the two Shadows.

"I already said it a few moments ago: Now it´s gonna go BOOOOM!", Hiro could be heard screaming inside the ball happily, said ball colliding with the two Shadows a few seconds later. Chuckling loudly, Hiro jumped out of the ball and ran away, the ball exploding and destroying both Shadows at once.

"No!", Shadow Fuuka groaned, the Arcanas that had been fused with its body already burned.

"Both shields have been destroyed!", Rise informed the others.

The gate opened and spat out Kanji. "Urgh! It really stinks in there...", Kanji said with a choked voice.

"YOU...!", Shadow Fuuka screeched, staring at Hiro with a look full of hatred.

"Hiya!", Hiro greeted her with a lop-sided grin and waved at her. "And now enjoy your meal!" He was just standing near the remains of the two defeated Shadows, before he suddenly appeared in front of the door and jumped up at Shadow Fuuka´s face. "A little present from Sensei! Now say `Aah´!" He hit its face.

"How dare y-!", Shadow Fuuka started to scream, but stopped and gagged when Hiro shoved something into it the moment it had opened its mouth. "Ugh... What... did you...", the Shadow groaned, seconds later screaming pain, the green light that had engulfed the whole battle field disappearing. "Ter... Terminating... Duel... Mode..."

The blue lights around Souji and his three companions disappeared as well, the paralysis that had them wait for their turn, gone.

"Okay, it´s time to pay back that bitch!", Chie laughed and did some threatening kicks.

"You... will... pay for that...", Shadow Fuuka groaned and tried to hit Hiro with one of its hands.

"So you haven´t had enough yet?", Hiro asked, dodged the hand and looked up at her in mirth. "Good! Because I have lots more energy to b-" But he stopped when his body suddenly started swaying. "... Or not. Seems I used up too much at once. Sorry, Sensei..." He fell to the ground.

"Hah! Serves you right, worm!", Shadow Fuuka growled and stroke out with its hand again. Kanji´s Persona reacted immediately and grabbed the hand while Akihiko threw the now unconscious Hiro over his shoulder and made a break for it.

"Out of the way!", Shadow Fuuka snapped, shoved Rokuten-Mao to the side and held up its hands again. "The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... It is indeed a precious gift to understand the forces that guide oneself..." The Hierophant Arcana appeared and fused with the gate. "The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... There is both joy and wonder in coming to understand another..." The Lovers Arcana fused with the gate as well. Said gate opened, and the following maelstrom sucked in a loudly protesting Rise.

"Well, and now you gotta do things without your little helping hand!", Adachi chuckled.

"Then _you_help us!", Souji snaped at him.

"_Me_?", Adachi repeated with fake horror. "I´m afraid not, Seta. I´m just the tour guide after all, you know."

"Both Shadows use status ailments!", Akihiko explained instead. "The Hierophant is going to try and scare you, the Lovers Shadow will try to charm you so that you attack your friends!"

"Akihiko-san, how do you know all th-", Naoto started.

"As I´ve already said, I´m going to explain everything to you, once Fuuka is save!", Akihiko interrupted him and then shouted: "Tatsumi! Look out!"

The gate had opened again in the meantime and spat out the Hierophant as well as the Lovers who had immediately started things of by throwing a Marin Karin attack at Kanji. The muscular one had tried to dodge, but the attack hit him nevertheless. His heart having been hit, he started staggering towards his friends right away.

"... K-Kanji?", Yosuke asked and made some hesitant steps towards him. Kanji´s fist made contact with his face. "What the...?"

Moments later Kanji was suddenly running, dodged Souji and Kou who were trying to grab him, and finally jumped at Naoto, both him and her falling to the ground.

"Tatsumi...!", Naoto gasped, the impact having drained all air from her lungs, and began brawling with Kanji on the ground, trying to get the upper hand and escape. "Tatsumi! Stop this nonsense ri- ... TATSUMI?" The last word came out rather squeaky since Kanji had now started to take of her shirt. "Tatsumi! Stop it!" She hit his head again and again, but he did not budge at all. Several buttons of her shirt popped. "I said sto- WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU´RE TOUCHING!"

The others tried to help her, but had to dodge both Shadows´ attacks at the same time.

Chie had nearly reached the still `brawling´ pair on the ground when the gate opened again and spat out Rise´s Persona Himiko. The Persona scanned its surroundings before readjusting its antennas.

"Argh!", Chie groaned together with the others moments later and fell to the ground, holding her hands over her ears in pain. "What the heck´s wrong with that noise?"

"Is that... Rise´s Persona doing this...?", Yosuke managed to choked out.

"Tatsumi...!", Naoto gasped, Kanji´s hand under her shirt now.

"I guess you two should get a room!", Shadow Fuuka chuckled, several black hands grabbing the pair and dragging them into the depths of the gate that closed behind them again.

"Fuck!", Kou yelled and tried to get up despite the noise that was driving him insane.

Teddie was lying on the ground a few metres away from him, sucking at his thumb and looking absolutely scared out of his mind. A status ailment used by the Hierophant had hit him and was now scaring him to death.

~.~.~.~

Inside the gate the rather heated brawl between Kanji and Naoto was continuing, Naoto´s shirt now torn to shreds, the gauze bandages she always wore the only thing covering her breasts now. Kanji went for her pants next.

"Tatsumi! Stop this at once!", Naoto screamed, near tears. She thought she could see a hypnotized Rise and Fuuka, held captive in a cage, but at the moment she had other urging matters to worry about. "Stop it! You´re not Adachi after all!"

Kanji continued in his task to tear off her pants.

"STOP IT! Please!", Naoto begged.

Kanji just continued.

In an act of desperation Naoto grabbed Kanji´s face and kissed him. Completely dumbfounded about Naoto´s actions, Kanji stopped at once, and rather concentrated about reciprocating the kiss as good as he could. Clumsily, tounge met tounge and grazed teeth, palate and other things. Both started panting, out of breath, and rolling around the floor until Naoto was on top. Lightning-fast she took out the hand cuffs she had always with her together with her revolver and handcuffed Kanji´s hands, biting his lip. A painful grunt was Kanji´s answer, trying to get the other hand again now that he had realized what Naoto had been trying to accomplish by kissing him.

"Just - wake - up - already - Tatsumi!", Naoto snapped at him, punching his face again and again with each word she spoke.

"Wha... Whazz goin´ on?", Kanji suddenly said dizzily, his glassy look giving way to a thoroughly confused one. Seconds later a vast quantity of blood shot out of his nose when realized the position they were in and the current condition of Naoto´s clothes. "What the fuck...?"

"I could asked you the same, Tatsumi!", Naoto growled, stood up on shaky legs and looked behind her at Rise and Fuuka.

Kanji grabbed the still hypnotized Rise while Naoto tried blowing up the cage that was holding the Informatics Professor with an almighty attack.

"No, you won´t!", Shadow Fuuka´s distorted voice could suddenly be heard inside the depths of the gate before Naoto and Kanji were spat out, Kanji still holding onto Rise.

Himiko disappeared immediately, since its owner had been freed from the gate.

Dozens of attacks were thrown nearly simultaneously at the two Shadows that dissipated with a loud scream.

The Hierophant Arcana as well as the Lovers Arcana burned down to ashes.

"Filthy monster!", Shadow Fuuka snapped and raised its hands again. "The Arcana is the means by which all if revealed... One of life´s greatest blessings is the freedom to pursue one´s goals." The Chariot Arcana appeared and fused with the door that sucked in Chie immediately. "The Arcana is the means by which all if revealed... To find the one true path, one must seek guidance amidst uncertainty..." The Justice Arcana appeared and fused with the gate as well.

"... It now has a Chariot and Justice shield layed other the Sun Arcana.", Rise explained in a rather choked with, having just woken up.

~.~.~.~

A call reached the Kirijo Group´s headquarters late at night, the call being re-send towards Ms. Kirijo´s cell phone a bit later by one of the secretaries.

"... Kirijio speaking!", Mitsuru spoke who was sitting in Akihiko´s office together with Junpei, Ken and Koromaru and waiting for the silver-haired man´s return.

"Mi-Miss Kirijo...", a rather frightened sounding voice said at the other end of the line. "Um..."

"Who is it I´m talking to?", Mitsuru asked, a bit annoyed that the secretary hadn´t given her a little bit more information about the caller.

"Um... My name... um... is Soichiro Hanamura...", the caller introduced himself. "I think... I have some information that might be very important for you..."

~.~.~.~

**Author´s note: Well, that was a pretty awkward experience for me describe the scene between Kanji and Naoto since I normally don´t like focussing on intimate relationships. I´d rather focus on plot than that.**

**I´ll try posting the next chapter tomorrow or the the day after to make up for the long absence.**

**Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: The thing Souji and his friends are fighting again is just Shadow Fuuka that has taken on the appearance of the gate. The thing Mrs. Hanamura and those other two figures are standing in front of is the real thing.**

**Astrih Konnash: I also think the Bagman scene has made it pretty obvious now who Bagman is so you´re probably right. ^^**

**eggmiester: The story will soon be about those two questions so I´d rather not answer them yet. You´ll see soon.**

**Coldman9: It will be going through all Arcanas that Nyx went through except Fool and Hanged Man.**

**Patcheresu: You´re review is not showing on Fanfiction(dot)net (or I´m just seeing things), but concerning Yosuke´s mother: I have thought about that story element very long before adding it into the whole story so it will make sense once we reach that part, don´t worry.**

**Xoraan: I´ll take a look at it once I have enough time. But if it´s a Persona fanfiction, then I won´t read more than one chapter, because I never read a fanfiction of something that I´m currently writing for so that I don´t accidentally take something from it and use it in my story.**

**Thank you for reviewing, everyone!**


	64. Chapter 64: Roulette from hell

_**Chapter 64: Roulette from hell**_

Slightly sleepy and still feeling very weak from all that had happened, he got out of the stretch limousine after what had seemed like an endless drive, many unknown people guiding him through a huge garden towards a palace-like building.

Several maids came down into the foyer when an especially tall and muscular man wearing sun glasses called for them in a threatening tone and threw dozens of sheets over him as if he could freeze do death any second now. Seconds later two older distinguished-looking people came down the stairs as well, followed by a younger woman that looked like their daughter and another small girl that was even younger than him.

"Welcome back, Hiroshi.", the older man said and threw a superior glance down at him.

He looked up questioningly. _`... Hiroshi? Is that my name?´_

The old man turned to the scary looking man with the sun glasses. "And the laboratory has been completely destroyed, you say?", he asked.

"Yes.", the man with the sun glasses said. "No other child except Hiroshi-sama has survived."

"Humph! That senile old Kirijo!", the older man incensed. "First he tells me about this revolutionary discovery of his, and now this!" His gaze returned downwards to him. "Take him upstairs to his room. And make sure he gets the necessary medicament."

Chaos errupted once again when his little body was shoved upstairs by the mass of servants inside a huge room were a note hang over the four-poster bed - probably made by one of the maids - stating _`Welcome home, Hiroshi Sideu!´_. He was forced onoto said bed and had to swallow those nasty tasting pills he had to take ever since he could remember.

Then suddenly he was all alone again, all servants having left the room.

_`Hiroshi... Sideu... Is that my name?´_, he wondered while staring at the note. _`Hiroshi... Sounds boring... Hiro sounds cooler!´_

He heard the door to his room - it was his room, right? - open once more and turned around. The small girl from before looked shyly through the door gap and stared at him.

"H-hel-", the girl started, but startled when the quite irate voice of the older man could be heard shouting in the hallways.

"Patty! What in the world are you doing over there! Get back to your room right now!"

The little girl´s body started shaking as she hurriedly closed the door, leaving Hiroshi - was that his name now or not? - all alone again.

~.~.~.~

Hiro woke up due to a loud scream from an annoyed sounding Yosuke, followed by noises that sounded like cannon shots. Groaning softly, he sat up and spotted the huge tank near him that was driving rather wildly over the whole roof and fired cannons literally anywhere.

"What is...?", he mumbled and tried to stand up, just to fall back down to the ground again. "No power left, huh... Shit, Sensei! You told me that using alchemy of this level would be too hard for a beginner, but I´d never guessed that I would feel this powerless now! Whoa..."

Chie´s Persona missed him only by a few centimetres, Teddie right behind it.

A loud explosion followed, caused by an Almighty attack that Naoto had cast. The tank´s upper part was destroyed immediately, only to be revived seconds later by the lower part that had dodged and used Samarecarm.

"Ugh! It´s just not working! Every time one of those things dodges and revives the other Shadow!", Yosuke snarled, trying to take care of Chie´s Persona together with Teddie.

Hiro, face looking rather tired and pale, turned towards the tank that seemed to be made of two Shadows, and pointed his hand that was shaking due to exhaustion at the vehicle that stopped immediately.

"What?", Shadow Fuuka screeched when Souji and Kanji destroyed both Shadows at once. Her gaze landed on Hiro who was now laying on the ground panting heavily. "You again! How dare you try to steal _my_ show! _I´M_ the protagonist here! Look at _ME_, damn it!" The gate opened and spat out Chie, the Chariot Arcana and Justice Arcana burning down at the same time. "The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed...", Shadow Fuuka spoke and held up her hands. "It requires great courage to look at oneself honestly, and forge one´s own path..." The Hermit Arcana appeared this time and fused with the door immediately after.

"The Arcana shield is Hermit this time! It doesn´t have a weakness, but it´s strong against Zio attacks!", Rise informed them hurriedly when a giant colossus of a Shadow was spat out of the door the next moment, dozens of cables charged with electricity surrounding its body. The creature stared around with its one huge bulging eye before it swung the cables like whips at the group, its body starting to glow all of a sudden. "Its whole body is charged with electricity! Don´t attack it directly!", Rise warned them while doding the cables that seemed to be everywhere now.

"IMMA FIRIN´ MAH LAZERSSSSSSSS!", Shadow Fuuka suddenly screeched. The huge Shadow made a strange noise a moment later and fired a giant ball full of electricity at Hiro who was still lying on the ground, defenseless.

"Hiro! Run!", Souji shouted at him, but Hiro remained on the ground, panting and wheezing like crazy.

"I guess we´ll see each other in hell again, Sensei...", Hiro managed to choke out and smiled.

Rokuten-Mao jumped in front of the huge ball just in time, its defence against electricity voiding the attack completely.

"Grrr! Stop stealing the spotlight!", Shadow Fuuka growled.

Kanji´s Persona jumped at the Hermit Shadow, its defense allowing it to üierce the Shadow´s vital points.

The Hermit Arcana burned down to ashes as well.

"Useless... Shadows...", Fuuka´s Shadow gasped and raised her hands once again. "This time... it´ll hurt... I promise!" Her gaze landed on Naoto and Kou. "The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Alongside fate exists time, the bearer of cruelty." The Fortune Arcana that appeared fused with the door. "The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Only with strength can one endure suffering and torment." The Strength Arcana was added as a shield as well.

"Uh-oh...", Kou only managed to say, trying to run away like Naoto was already doing. Both of them were caught by a maelstrom seconds later and sucked into the gate.

"Oh shit...", Yosuke mumbled and gulped when the door already spat out two new Shadow - one of them looked like a princess with the rose it was holding; the other one looked like a quite deformed dog - as well as the Personas Sukuna-Hikona and Siegfried.

A loud noise followed, when suddenly a huge roulette table appeared between Souji and his friends and their enemies, starting to spin like crazy.

"R-roulette?", Rise stammered, dumbfounded.

The roulette table started growing bigger and bigger, the ball that was rolling around in it growing in size as well.

"Whoa!", Yosuke screamed and jumped back when the table reached him.

The Strength Shadow suddenly sighed the deeply, engulfing the Fortune Shadow in a violette light.

"This is going to be sooo much fun~...", Shadow Fuuka chuckled.

The roulette table was covering almost the entire roof now, and Souji and his friends had now choice but to enter it if they didn´t want to jump down from the roof. Having entered the table, they were immediately spun around, the dial becoming faster and faster.

Hiro who was far too exhausted to stand up was thrown around and around.

"I´m gonna be siiiiiick!", Yosuke whined, making gagging sound, and then suddenly screeched when the now gigantic white roulette ball came rolling towards him. "FUCK!"

Kanji´s Persona threw itself with its massive body in front of the ball just in time to stop it, but was shoved to the side by Siegfried seconds later so that the ball continued rolling towards a now fleeing and crying Yosuke.

Chie and Teddie were fighting against the Strength Shadow in the meantime on the other side of the table, the Shadow blocking every one of their attacks with a fence-like barrier with which it also attacked them.

Akihiko and Rise managed to reach Hiro and grabbed him so that he wasn´t thrown around anymore the entire time, and threw annoyed glares at Adachi who was quite happily sliding around the table, giggling like a little child.

Souji though had his hands full just dealing with Naoto´s Persona that swirling around him and throwing one Mudo and Hama spell after another at him.

The Fortune Shadow created another, even huger ball and let it fall down onto the table that had started spinning even faster.

"AAAAAAH!", Yosuke shouted, completely startled by the sudden faster movement, and fell down, the first ball still after him.

Chie´s Persona that had been hit by an attack the Strength Shadow had launched at it was thrown backwards and crashed against the first ball that now changed course, missing Yosuke by only a few millimetres, and now continued rolling towards Souji who did manage to dodge the ball, but was hit by a Mudo spell cast by Sukuna-Hikona.

"SAMARECARM!", Teddie yelled, the spell reaching Souji just in time.

"That... was far too close...", Souji gasped and stood up again. A Megidola spell was thrown at him which he dodged.

"Fuck!", he could hear Kanji growling and whirled around: The muscular man was currently brawling it out withe Fortune Shadow at the center of the table, the Shadow blocking all of his attacks without even moving. "I jus´ can´t beat that shit face! How is that possible?"

"The Strength Shadow has cast some kind of barrier around him, Kanji-kun!", Rise shouted. "You can´t attack it until the Strength Shadow has been defeated!"

Souji´s gaze wandered immediately towards said Strength Shadow, dodging another attack of Sukuna-Hikona in the process: Now matter what attack Chie, Teddie and now also Yosuke launched at it, the Shadow always blocked it with its fence, cornering the three more and more.

"That´s more like it!", Shadow Fuuka giggled. "As soon as the stage has been cleared of all these unimportant minor characters, it´ll be time to finally start sacrificing ourselves! I can harldy wait!"

~.~.~.~

"They can´t defeat it.", the person wearing a lift assistant suit said in front of the real gate. "The probability of them losing this battle is now at 90 %."

"Then we´ll have to help them!", Mrs. Hanamura said, agitated. "Otherwise our plan will fail! We won´t be able to open the door!" Her gaze wandered to the person in the cloak, seeking help.

"We will do no such thing.", that person decided.

"Why?", Mrs. Hanamura snapped at them. "You´ve already helped once! Why not this time as well!"

"It wouldn´t be wise to attract that much attention towards us.", the person in the suit explained.

"That´s not important!", Mrs. Hanamura yelled at them. "Don´t you get it! This Shadow could be the answer to our prayers! Its energy resembles the gate´s energy so much it´s scary! Now or never!"

"Then you´ll have to do it yourself.", the person wearing the cloak said.

"How? How am I supposed to help?"

"Exactly. So you don´t need to order us around.", the cloaked person replied. "The ones doing all the work is us. Without us you would have never gotten this far. Don´t forget that!"

"But...!", Mrs. Hanamura began and bit her lip. "... Yosuke.", she suddenly said after a moment of silence.

"What about him?", the person in the suit asked.

"If he dies-"

"We won´t die.", the person in the suit assured her.

"How do you know tha-?"

"I think I may have phrased it a bit incorrectly. Let me say it like that: He _can´t_ die. It is impossible.", that person interrupted her.

"What are you trying to s- Ohh..." Mrs. Hanamura´s gate wandered towards the gaze and focused on Minato´s face. "Are you sure... Elizabeth?"

"Very sure.", the person wearing the suit said.

"Hmm..." Mrs. Hanamura looked in the other direction and made a sour face at what she saw there. "Does that really have to be here?"

"It´s a defense mechanism.", Elizabeth simply explain.

"He can defend somewhere else.", Mrs. Hanamura opined. "Just looking at him makes me wanna throw up!"

"I can somewhat understand the feeling since he has been an enemy once.", the cloaked person said. "But this is now longer the case." The person looked at the same direction. "He´s on our side now. Isn´t that right... Jin?"

~.~.~.~

"Well, anyone wanna have a barf bag?", Shadow Fuuka chuckled and observed the spectacle in front of her on the roulette table happily.

As much as Chie, Yosuke and Teddie tried, they just didn´t stand a chance against the Strength Shadow that attacked them without abandon.

"Kanji! A little bit of help would be nice?", Chie shouted at Kanji who was currently too busy fending off Kou´s Persona. "Ugh!"

Meanwhile Souji was still busy dodging Naoto´s Persona´s attacks. For some reason the Persona was only focusing on him. One Mudo and Hama spell followed the other and he was slowly becoming quite fatigued.

_`What to do...?´_, he wondered and wiped the sweat that had started trickling down his forehead and into his now burning eyes away. _`I can´t keep dodging its spells like an idiot forever! But I can´t attack either; who knows what would happen to Naoto if I did!´_ Another Mudo spell followed which he dodged, gasping for air. _`Think! There´s gotta be a way!´_He threw a quick glance around the battle field before dodging the next spell. _`The first one we have to take out is the Strength Shadow since it´s protecting the Fortune one!´_His gaze lingered on Chie, Yosuke and Teddie who were still occupied with that Shadow. _`But we can´t hurt it even if three people fight against it at once! I doubt the situation would change if I were to somehow break free from here and join the battle! So how...?´_A Hama spell followed which he was able to just about dodge it. The spell nearly crashed into Kanji who stood a little bit behind him.

"What the fuck...? Hey!", Kanji complained angrily.

"Sor-", Souji started, but then stopped in the middle of his sentence. _`Wait just a sec! That´s it!´_ He looked at the Strength Shadow. _`Naoto´s currently an ally to that Shadow! That means it won´t take any notice if-´_He started running, Sukuna-Hikona right behind him. Several light and darkness spells followed which he all dodged while continuing to run around in sinuous lines through the battle field, taking care not to fall since that would certainly be the end of him. Being careless just a moment, he noticed too late that he was now running into one of the giant balls. But Kanji´s Persona managed to kick the ball away like a professional footballer and against a loudly protesting Shadow Fuuka just in time.

"GOOOOOAAAAAAAAL!", Adachi cheered happily.

"Shut it!", Akihiko and Rise snapped at him.

Souji nodded towards Kanji thankfully, turned around and dodged the next spell.

"Are we playing tag now?", Shadow Fuuka laughed.

Another Mudo Spell followed.

"Now!", Souji shouted triumphantly and waited until the last moment before he jumped to the side. The Mudo spell crashed right into the Strength Shadow that had stood behind Souji, the Shadow not having looked out for an attack thrown by an ally. Screaming loudly, the Shadow dissipated into a black mass immediately, the Fortune Shadow following seconds later after the barrier was gone and Chie, Yosuke and Teddie had reached it.

"NO!", Shadow Fuuka screamed and spat out Naoto and Kou.

"That was... a rather strange experience...", Naoto mumbled while standing up again.

"You might cal it `strange´. I call it `absolutely disgusting and somehow perverted at the same time´!", Kou snapped. "I mean, that stupid Shadow was looking right into our consciousness! It could see all of my memories! Not funny, man!"

"You´ll pay for this!", Shadow Fuuka growled, the Strength Arcana and the Fortune Arcana burning down right before its eyes. "I´m so sick of it! Screw the Hanged Man Arcana!" The Hanged Man Arcana appeared, but it tore it apart. "I´m tired of sharing the spotlight with someone else! IT´S SHOWTIME FOR ME, BABY!" It raised its hands. "The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate... Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yet, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Beyond the beaten path lies the absolute end. It matters not who you are... Death awaits you."

The Death Arcana appeared and fused with the gate that started to shake violently now. The doors were thrown out of their angles and sucked into the dark depths, the loudly cackling face of Shadow Fuuka being sucked in as well.

Silence.

"... What now?", Chie asked hesitantly, finally finding hold again now that the roulette table had stopped, and stared at the golden archway which was the only thing remaining. She jumped back, startled, when several silver-glowing threads started spreading out of the darkness inside the remainings of the gate.

"What is that...?", Kanji mumbled when an egg-like something started emerging from the darkness within, the threads originating from it.

"... That is Nyx...", Akihiko said, whole body tense.

"Really? Cool!", Adachi shouted, eyes gleaming with happiness.

"There´s something inside that Nyx thing!", Chie said and tilted her head to the side. "Isn´t that...?"

"Fuuka!", Akihiko shouted, being able to make out the Informatics Professor that was sleeping inside Nyx´ center.

The threads started attaching themselves more and more to the archway until they had formed some sort of spiderweb, the egg-like being in its center.

"Welcome tooooo Fuuka´s `Can you sacrifice it´!", Shadow Fuuka´s distorted voice could be heard from the depths of all that darkness inside. "I´m so sorry the show took sooooo much longer than we had anticipated, dear viewers, but we had some rather unexpected accidents! But now we´ve reached the final act: Sacrificing Fuuka Yamagishi! Don´t touch that dial please! Tee hee hee!"

The bright egg-like center started to contract more and more around Fuuka, about to crush her.

"DIE!"

~.~.~.~

**Author´s notes:**

**ZhaneX: This was actually the first Shadow where I had really taken the time to think about how to design it. The other ones until now where created rather hurriedly. ^^;**

**Coldman9: Yosuke´s father´s name has already been revealed in another chapter to be `Soichiro Hanamura´, but it´s already been a while since that chapter (one of the ice-skating ones) so it´s no surprise you don´t remember anymore.**

**Trickymander: Those are all copies of the real thing, just like Shadow Fuuka is only a copy of the real gate. Otherwise the Shadows wouldn´t go down that fast.**

**Thank you for reviewing, everyone!**


	65. Chapter 65: The Great Shield Brynhildr

_**Chapter 65: The Great Shield Brynhildr**_

Further and Further the egg-like center in which the Informatics Professor was held prison proceeded to contract around her, wanting to squash her.

"Fuuka!", Akihiko shouted and started running towards her. Several of those silver threads grabbed him and threw him to the side after spinning him around for a few seconds.

"Akihiko! Are you alright?", Souji asked him worriedly while Teddie hurried over to him to heal him, and turned his attention - after Akihiko had nodded his answer - back to the web made of those threads that denied them any entrance.

"It feels really strange...", Rise mumbled. "Like... It feels like... Professor Yamagishi´s everywhere..."

"What do you mean?", Chie asked.

"I don´t really get it, but...", Rise answered, staring at the silver threads. "Could those threads... be me made of memories...? They feel like memories... And if that´s the case, then all of those Shadows that had escaped the gate were memories as well!"

"Fuuka!", Akihiko yelled again. "Fuuka! Open your eyes already! Look me in the eye!"

The threads started spinning and a little girl that looked like Fuuka suddenly sat in front of the gate, face hidden behind her hands.

"I´m all alone...", the girl mumbled without moving her lips, her voice reverberating through the whole area.

"Is that... Professor Yamagishi as a child?", Souji asked. "A memory about her childhood?"

"Yes. And it´s her thoughts we´re hearing.", Rise agreed.

The threads formed other children who played happily around the little Fuuka, ignoring her completely.

"Alone... Always alone...", little Fuuka cried.

"Professor...", Souji mumbled, gaze glassy.

~.~.~.~

As always four years old Souji Seta said alone on one of the benches on the school area after pre school had ended, and looked up sometimes when parents came to take home their happily shouting children. His face was neither sad nor jealous; it was devoid of any emotion whatsoever when he looked after a little girl and her mother before he lay down his face on the table near the bench.

They had forgotten to come and take him home once again...

"Hello!"

Slightly startled, he raised his head and looked around, nearly falling down when he saw the blue-haired boy who suddenly sat next to him. He stared at the boy who curiously stared back for a while before he lay down his head on the table once again, ignoring the other boy.

"I´m Minato, and you are?", the boy continued babbling.

~.~.~.~

_`I know what it means to be alone...´_, Souji thought and continued to stare at the little Fuuka who was now getting older and older while the apparitional figures around her distanced themselves more and more from her, their shadows bathing her in darkness.

_`No matter how many friends I would make, it didn´t matter at all since we would soon be leaving again anyway...´_

He did several steps towards Professor Yamagishi, the apparitional figures immediately turning around and running towards him. The Personas of Souji´s friends immediately jumped in front of the silver-haired man to protect him.

_`But... everything changed the moment I had arrived in Inaba...´_

He continued walking towards Fuuka´s memory, the Personas of the other continuing to battle against the silver figures.

_`I´m not alone anymore... I have friends...´_He thought about Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, Teddie, Rise, Naoto and all of those other people he had befriended due to his Social Links. _`And I finally have people who I can think of as family...´_He was seeing Nanako and Dojima before his eyes while kneeling in front of Fuuka´s memory. _`And I don´t think you´re all alone either, Professor Yamagishi...´_ He threw a short glance at the worried-looking Akihiko before hugging Fuuka´s memory close to him.

A loud and distorted scream could be heard from the depths of the destroyed gate the next moment, the figures breaking down into hundreds of threads again which then shot forwards and rammed the Personas to the side. They grabbed Souji, threw them against the archway and held him captive there.

"Senpai!", Rise shouted, frightened.

Fuuka slowly opened her eyes inside Nyx. "Where...?"

"... Huh. So Seta really managed to get through to her!", Adachi said, slightly amazed.

Fuuka tried to move, but her arms and legs were bound by silver threads. "What´s going o- Is that Nyx?", she stammered.

"Shut up and return to dream land! This is _MY_show!", Shadow Fuuka could be heard screaming from inside the darkness within the gate.

"I... remember...", Fuuka said. "My Shadow appeared and said-" She stopped and hung her head.

"It´s okay, Professor Yamagishi!", Souji shouted from his prison. "Everyone has something like that inside them!" Several threads wrapped around his mouth to shut him up.

"But I...", Fuuka started. "The things it said... It just can´t...!" Her gaze wandered towards Akihiko, seeking for help. "He´d done so much for us, and yet I-"

Akihiko stared at her in sadness and sighed. "We´re both hypocrites after all, Fuuka.", he finally said.

"... Akihiko?"

"I´m an even greater one than you since I´ve been denying it when your Shadow had started talking about him like that.", Akihiko continued. "Mitsuru... has often shouted at me angrily because I had doubted Minato´s intentions towards us so often."

"A-Akihiko?"

"And... to think I would condemn you for those thoughts... I´m sorry!"

"SHUT UP!", Shadow Fuuka screamed within the darkness, dozens of threads taking on the form of spears that now shot towards Akihiko.

"I see...", Fuuka said and sighed. "I didn´t want to acknowledge those feelings inside me. I had thought I´m the only one who had those doubts..." She threw a glance behind her, into the darkness. "So this... is who I really am..."

Another loud scream could be heard when the egg-like thing that held Fuuka captive suddenly broke apart. She landed on the ground rather hardly, and the spear-like threads that had nearly reached Akihiko stopped as well and fell to the ground.

"Fuuka! Are you alright?", Akihiko shouted, ran towards her and helped her up.

"Yes. I´m fine, thank you.", Fuuka groaned, still a bit unsteady and clinging to Akihiko to help maintain her balance while standing, and slowly turned around to her other self that now walked out of the darkness within the gate with an emotionless face. Bot of them stared at each other for a while. "I´m not scared of you anymore.", Fuuka said towards her dark clone. "I´m not scared of accepting you anymore. You are me!" The Shadow stared at her for a while with a defiant glare, before it nodded and transformed into bright light that slowly engulfed Fuuka´s whole body. A giant figure made of flames, one hand holding an also giant shield while the other held a miniature edition of the sun in its other hand, appeared above Fuuka seconds later: The birth of Brynhildr of the Sun Arcana.

"It´s over...", Kou sighed in relief and hurried over to Souji who was still tangled into the mess of silver threads together with the others.

"Need some help, Partner?", Yosuke asked and laughed when Souji only grumbled. Seconds later he shouted in horror when the threads that surrounded Souji suddenly started moving again and threw them all to the side.

"What the...?", Akihiko shouted dumbfoundedly and jumped to the side together with Fuuka just in time when some of the threads tried to grab them.

"The hell´s going on now? I thought the Shadow´s been crushed!", Kanji yelled.

"... I guess that´s my fault... Sorry...", Hiro said from the ground, trying to stand up but falling down again in his weakened state.

"What do you mean?", Naoto asked him.

"To break the paralysis back then... I had to... force some kind of virus into the Shadow... to make it stop the Duel Mode...", Hiro explained in between coughs. "This virus... is like a Shadow... that slowly starts eating away at things... and takes control of them. I guess... it´s take control... over the gate..."

"Fuck!", Kanji growled.

The spear-like threads began moving fastly again, their target once again Akihiko who had his back towards them.

"AKIHIKO!", Fuuka shouted in horror. There was a bloodcurdling noise when Brynhildr appeared once again - summoned by Fuuka who had raised her hands, just like her Shadow had done every time it had summoned a new Arcana, like she was about to pray and crushed the Tarot Card that had appeared - and blocked all of the spears with its shield.

The threads all began to hiss maliciously like snakes and took on the form of cannons which starting firing Agidyne attacks at the friends who tried their best to dodge.

"Ugh! I can´t really see anything from here!", Fuuka shouted, trying to see what was going on meters away from them through all the fog.

"Here!", Akihiko said and held the pink glasses he had worn all this times towards her.

"... Huh?" Puzzled, Fuuka took the glasses, the fog vanishing in an instant for her. "Oh! I see!" She saw the Agidyne attacks flowing around. "Brynhildr! VOID FIRE!" Brynhildr raised its shield with a loud battle scream, and several red glowing barriers started to surround the others.

"What the...?", Yosuke stammered and stared at Fuuka.

"Destroy the gate! Don´t worry, I will be your shield!", Fuuka shouted at them, her whole body tense and pale.

Naoto nodded and started to storm towards the gate, the others following her seconds later.

Another scream could be heard when several of the canons changed from Agi attacks to Zio attacks so that now some of them fired Agidyne attacks while others threw Ziodyne attacks at the friends.

"VOID ELECTRICITY!", Fuuka screamed, the shields now changing from red to blue and back, shielding them from every attack that hit them.

Several attacks launched by the friends´ Personas hit the egg-like something that dissipated the next moment with a high-pitched scream. The threads all disappeared all of a sudden, and Souji - who could now finally move again - had just enough time to run away from the archway that had started to fall apart.

"Phew...", Fuuka sighed, satisfied, and sank to the ground.

"Fuuka!", Akihiko shouted and knelt beside her.

"A little bit longer and I wouldn´t have been able to go on anymore...", Fuuka managed to choke out before she slowly started to disappear.

"Fuuka?"

"It´s okay. Professor Fuckya´s soul is returning to its body.", Teddie explained.

"FUUKA!", Yosuke snapped and whacked him.

"Fuuka-chan! I just said that!", the blond Shadow complained and rubbed his head. "Why do you always have to hit me, Yosuke! That´s not nice!"

"Tch! I think I´d better go now before I start gagging from this level of idiocy!", Adachi said and lay down on the ground, rolling his eyes.

"Hey!", Teddie and Yosuke started to complain, but Adachi had already disappeared into the ground.

"Asshole...", Yosuke grumbled.

~.~.~.~

When Tohru Adachi opened his eyes in Inaba´s prison in the human world, his whole body went tense immediately due to Taro Namatame leaning directly over him and staring at him.

"What the hell...?", the former detective yelled, sat up abruptly and shoved Namatame harshly to the side. "I don´t swing that way, got it! And how did you even manage to get in here, huh!"

Without answering him, Namatame turned around and just walked through the solid wall that separated his and Adachi´s cell.

"... WTF?", Adachi only managed to choke out before he rubbed a hand over his neck that somehow seemed to hurt pretty bad. "What the-" He looked at his hand that had rubbed over his neck: It was covered in blood. He jumped up and ran towards the small mirror in the cell to look at the huge wound at his neck. "YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!", he shouted in fury and punched the wall that separated him and Namatame several times. "TRYIN´ TO KILL ME, HUH!" He hurriedly searched around in his rather dirty little cupboard for something to cover his wound while he continued to kick at the wall. "YOU SHITTY ASSHOLE! WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! YOU´RE DEAD, FREAK! DEEEEEAAAAAD!"

"Keep it down in there, Adachi!", one of the jailers shouted from outside.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!", Adachi growled as an answer, still searching for something to cover his wound.

The jailor opened the door to the cell angrily and stomped inside. He stopped though when he saw all that blood that trickled down Adachi´s neck. "Adachi! What in the world...?"

"I SAID, SHUT THE FUCK U-", Adachi growled, everything suddenly starting to spin for him, and fell to the ground.

"Fuck!", the jailor shouted in panic, threw one of Adachi´s arms over his shoulder and dragged him outside where he screamed for his colleagues to hurry and get some medics.

~.~.~.~

"It seems as though they have succeeded in their task.", Elizabeth who had had her eyes closed this whole time announced and stared together with the cloaked person at the huge golden gate towards which Mrs. Hanamura was now running happily.

Quiet knocking could be heard from the other side of the gate.

"It´s almost time, Minato! Just wait a little bit more, and you´ll be free!", Mrs. Hanamura promised, her body shaking with happiness. She looked behind her. "The energy of that Shadow should be here any minute!" She looked at the cloaked person. "Can you feel Yosuke and `that person´?"

The cloaked person nodded.

"As soon as the energy´s here, we have to get Yosuke. After that, we´ll have to pay a visit to `that person´.", Mrs. Hanamura said. "We don´t need `that person´ anymore, after all."

"That would be going against our promise.", Elizabeth reminded her.

"I know that.", Mrs. Hanamura said. "But `that person´ knows that we will prevent them from throwing more people into the other world as soon as we have what we want. They are probably already expecting us so get ready for battle." She looked around again impatiently. "Where´s the energy from Fuuka´s Shadow?"

Several minutes went by.

"Where is it?", Mrs. Hanamura snapped at Elizabeth.

"... It seems to have disappeared.", the person in the cloak said.

"WHAT!", Mrs. Hanamura screeched and jumped at her. "What do you mean, `disappeared´?"

"`Disappeared´ means `disappeared´.", the cloaked person said.

"But... But how?"

"I don´t really know... I only have an assumption... But that virus that boy used..."

"It seems we´re going to need the help of `that person´ for a little while longer.", Elizabeth decided.

"Shut up!", Mrs. Hanamura snapped at her and threw a panicked glance at the gate where quiet knocking could still be heard. "Minato... I´m sorry... You´ll have to hang in there just a little longer."

~.~.~.~

When Souji and his friends shot out of the TV and landed in Naoto´s lounge, they all looked up in confusion when they saw Mitsuru Kirijo and several other people - together with a rather pale looking Fuuka - who were already waiting for them.

"Mitsuru? But we´d decided for you all to wait in my office and explain everything once Fuuka gets better.", Akihiko said, puzzled.

"Change of plans.", Mitsuru merely said. "While you were gone, I´ve received a call that contained two rather unsettling information."

"H-huh?", Akihiko asked, confused.

"First: Yukari Takeba´s corpse has supposedly been found in Inaba! Second: One of the main professors that had worked on my grandfather´s Shadow Project is said to be working here at Tanaba University under the name of `Yosufu Bagman´ now!"

~.~.~.~

**Author´s notes: This chapter had nearly had a major flaw in it if I hadn´t realized it in time. I´ll write down further explanation what that flaw is on my spoiler site so that those who don´t want any spoilers won´t be annoyed.**

**Spoiler site: www (dot) theanswerspoiler (dot) blogspot (dot) com**

**BordGuydWithIdeas: Welcome aboard! Hope you like the story as it progresses (slowly)!**

**P4 anonman: From your review I can see that that chapter was chapter 55, right? If so, then yes, that chapter is pretty revealing if one manages to understand the hidden spoilers in there.**

**Trickymander: In P3 there was a being called Nyx that had to be sealed inside a gate by the protagonist. That being had some kind of slave who was made out of 12 different Shadows. It´s the copis of those Shadows that the gate (where a copy of Nyx is inside) is throwing out. It´s the copy of that slave in his split form fighting for the copy of his mistress, so to say.**

**Thank you for your reviews, everyone! (I nearly always forget my thanks... -.-')**


	66. Chapter 66: The three energies

_**Chapter 66: The three energies**_

It was shortly after Souji and his friends had returned from the TV world that Mrs. Bagman´s breathing slowly returned to normal, his features not as droopy and old as seconds before, his whole posture not as rigid anymore.

"They're finally back outside again.", he said, relief evident in his voice, and lay down the thriller he'd been reading before standing up with a loud groan from his position on the couch. He hobbles over to the glass door that led to the balcony and shoved away the curtains that obscured his vision of the starry sky this night. "Another barrier ruined...", he finally said. "And yet I still don´t even have gathered enough to let myself be this wasteful." He sighed and turned around to look at his original's corpse that was still lying in his living-room. "I think you'll have to stay here alone for the rest of the night, Yosufu, my dear.", he said to his dead original before he knelt down and took some of the corpse's skin. "Just in case...", he said, smearing the skin over his body like it was some kind of lotion. "I don't want to stink, after all." He disappeared into the ground.

~.~.~.~.~

"First: Yukari Takeba´s corpse has supposedly been found in Inaba! Second: One of the main professors that had worked on my grandfather´s Shadow Project is said to be working here at Tanaba University under the name of `Yosufu Bagman´ now!"

"Wha-wha...?", Akihikostarted with huge eyes and looked from Mitsuru to Fuuka, wrapped in several bed sheets, her body shivering.

"I've already abused my position as the Kirijo Groups president and given Inaba's police department and call.", Mitsuru continued, body rigid. "The information about Takeba seems to be genuine. Her corpse is really lying at the autopsy department right now. According to them they don't know yet how she died. But the police seems rather alarmed since the corpse had been found shortly after a foggy night, hung upside-down from an antenna."

Souji and his friends were on alert immediately.

"So... So this means the murders are still continuing in Inaba?", Chie asked. "But... Then... How many more victims have already been found?"

"Takeba is the first victim to be found in this kind of position since the events a few years ago.", Mitsuru answered. "I suppose the first thing Inaba's police department will do is interrogate the culprit who had been behind the murders last time. I don't know for certain, though. It was already difficult enough to get the information I have now."

"Yukari is... dead...", Akihiko mumbled and practically fell down on Naoto's bed, face completely pale from shock.

"... Hiro...?", Patty who was in the room together with Yukiko as well suddenly said and stormed to her rather weak-looking cousin. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"It's... a long story...", Hiro managed to groan.

"Then-"

"I think it would be better for us all to sit down, wouldn't it? So that we can talk about everything.", a man with brown hair who still looked rather young suggested.

"Y... Yes. You're right, um...", Patty began.

"Ken Amada.", the man introduced himself and sat down next to Akihiko, as if to set an example.

The others sat down as well after hesitating for a moment, some kind of mini chaos breaking out which was quickly ended by Mitsuru admonishing everyone and Naoto glaring everyone down.

Finally Souji and his friends sat on one bed while Akihiko, Fuuka and their other friends sat on the other one. All of them just stared at each other in silence.

Naoto picked at the jacket a rather beet-red Kanji had quickly given her after they beaten Fuuka´s Shadow, trying to cover as much as possible.

"... Well, what now?", Junpei finally asked, being the first one who couldn´t bear the awkward silence anymore.

"Aren't... aren't you this university's janitor?", Yukiko suddenly asked him.

"Um... Yo.", Junpei answered and scratched his goatbeard in embarrassment now that everyone was staring at him. "The one and only! Maniac for housework Junpei! Bwahaha... ha..." He hung his head. "That sounded kinda pathetic just now, didn´t it?" Silent nodding from everyone else. "Jus' forget it. Stupei, Ace Defective at work once again..."

Hearing those words, Mitsuru suddenly had a rather pained look on her face when she remembered who had given that nickname to Junpei years ago. She readjusted her sitting position, petted Koromaru who was sitting on her lap, and began: "I think it would be better to get down to business now. But where should we begin..." She looked down at Koromaru, lost in thought, before she nodded. "What would you say if I told you that a few years ago the day had 25 hours?"

"I would suggest you´d start looking for a good mental institution.", Kou replied. "But..."

"... After all we've seen so far, nothing surprises me anymore.", Chie said, Kou - now drooling again - vehemently nodding in agreement.

"The 25th hour was known as the _Dark Hour_.", Mitsuru continued after a short pause. "During that hour it was as if time was standing still. All electrical devises refused to function, and everything was veiled into some sort of green shimmer."

"Just a moment!", Yukiko interrupted her and looked at Patty who nodded. "The night we saved Patty-chan's soul from the TV world she had told us something similar."

"So you have experienced the Dark Hour for yourself?", Mitsuru asked her.

"Dark Hour?", Kanji repeated.

"It's about the rumour I had told you about during the night of Sideu's rescue.", Naoto explained. "It was supposed to be some sort of hidden hour that turned humans into coffin, leaving them in a state of trance. That rumour had originated from a certain Takaya on Tatsumi Port Island."

"Heh! Didn´t think that old ghoul managed to spread the rumour that far!", Junpei said, slightly impressed.

"So, this isn't a rumour at all.", Naoto said.

"Precisely. The Dark Hour really existed.", Mitsuru agreed, gaze darkening. "It was the result of a truly perverted experiments." Souji and the other stared at her in expectation. "More than 15 years ago there was a man who had seemed to have lost all of his sanity. He wanted more and more power, and his lust for it he found an unknown source of energy that would open him unimagined realms: Shadows."

"Shadows?", Kanji repeated with huge eyes, but Souji motioned him to keep quiet.

"Having found this apparently never-ending source of power, he gathered more and more of those beings to finally create something gigantic that could manipulate time and space itself.", Mitsuru continued. "A huge research area was created on Tatsumi Port Island, camouflaged as the school Gekkoukan High."

"We've been there once!", Chie interrupted her. "Beneath... Beneath that school's some sort of research facility for Shadows!" She looked at Rise questioningly.

"Don't look at me like that. I can only sense Shadows inside the TV world.", Rise said and shook her head.

"No, that facility doesn´t exist anymore.", Mitsuruinterfered. "That man who was so greedy for power - my grandfather - had become too arrogant, and so he didn't notice how several individuals around him started to plot how to use the Shadow's power for themselves." She sighed. "But before any of them could realize their plans, one of the researchers who realized the dangers let out the gathered Shadows that split into twelve parts shortly after that and destroyed the laboratory together with everyone inside it."

Yukiko gulped while Chie lay an encouraging arm around her shoulder.

Unnoticed by everyone Hiro's body had started shaking slightly.

"The twelve Shadows' escape caused the order of time and space to go out of control, and the 25th hour - the Dark Hour - during which hundreds of Shadows were wreaking havoc came into being.", Mitsuru continued her explanation.

"Shadows... had been in this world once before.", Teddie mumbled.

Mitsurunodded. "For years my father had then tried to make up for my grandfathers mistakes until a small girl managed to defeat a group of Shadows with the help of her Persona.", she said. "That girl was me."

"So you're the first Persona user ever?", Yosuke asked.

Mitsuru cringed when Yosuke spoke to her, but shook her head. "No. My grandfather had already taken some tests on children, trying to force them through medicaments to awakening to their Personas."

Hiro started shaking again.

"Are you cold, Hiro?", Patty asked him, worried.

"Um... N-no.", Hiro replied and forced himself to smile reassuringly.

"What do you mean, `forced´?", Naoto asked the Kirijo Group's president. "You can force people to face themselves?"

"No, that's not it.", Mitsuru disagreed and sighed deeply, as if she didn't know how to continue. After a while she said: "Akihiko here has already explained to me how all of you have gotten your Personas." She looked at Akihiko who nodded. "But before I continue telling you about our `little adventure´, I want you to tell me everything that has happened on your side first." She started petting Koromaruagain. "To be honest, there are still some inconsistencies about our adventure. Maybe we could be able to shed some light on it with hour help."

Souji nodded. "Alright.", he said and cleared his throat. "Well, I think it all started when I had moved to Inaba due to my parents having to work overseas..."

~.~.~.~

"I see...", Mitsuru eventually said after the Investigation Team finished telling their story, and seemed lost in thought once again.

"Man, that was really some adventure, I gotta admit!", Junpei said, grinning. "Just as crazy as what happened to us, if not even crazier!"

"Yes, I think this could be it...", Mitsuru suddenly said, and everyone was once again staring at her. "Well then, to get back to our story: After Akihiko had told me how all of you have gotten your Personas, I had started to go through the data my grandfather and my father's researchers had left behind once again - with the help of Ken Amada here -, and we had found something which now finally makes sense. At first we had always dismissed it as some kind of delirious babbling, but now..." She looked down at Koromaru shortly. "According to that data, every human being is made of three main categories of energy: _Body Energy _- you may perhaps know it as _Chakra_ -, the energy of our consciousness - also known as _Mind Energy_ which is used especially for alchemy - and our _Life Energy_. Each of those three energies lies dormant within our bodies. Those three energies can be ranked in simplicity."

"Huh? What do you mean?", Rise asked.

"It means that one energy is easier to awaken than the other.", Mitsuru explained. "In other words, there is some kind of ranking, the Body Energy being the easiest one and the Life Energy being the most difficult one." She pointed at her and the Rest of S.E.E.S. "Every member of our organization S.E.E.S. has awakened to their `Potential´ which the researchers have named `Body Energy´ in that data. This means all of us have the easiest of all energies under control. This energy is needed to summon Personas in our world."

"And how exactly do you awaken to that energy?", Yukiko wanted to know.

"Simple: You're either born with that talent or not.", Ken answered.

"That's why this energy is the simplest of all of them.", Mitsuru continued. "You can't learn it; you either have the potential for it in you the moment you are born or not. If you have it inside you, it can be awakened through high stress."

"I see.", Naoto said. "But that doesn't really sound easy. Every other human being who hasn't been born with that power won't ever be able to awaken to it."

"It's the simplest energy because it doesn't last that long.", Ken explained. "The older you get, the weaker this energy becomes, until it finally disappears forever. That is why the Kirijo Group invented the Neo Evokerto force out the Body Energy as long as possible with full power."

"The second energy in this ranking is the Mind Energy. It is needed to summon Personas in that other world - inside the TV world - that reacts to people feelings and is formed by their minds.", Mitsuru continued.

"Our energy.", Yosuke said.

"This energy is awakened by defeating his Shadow that is part of one's psyche - one's mind. You have all succeeded in doing that. Mind Energy will never disappear.", Mitsuru said. " Although... As you have surely noticed already, we who have mastered the Body Energy can't summon Personas inside the TV world while you can't summon your Personasin our world withyour Mind Energy." The other nodded. "This is because both worlds are so different; our world, in which only reality and things you can touch count in our society, only accepts the Body Energy for summoning Personas, while TV world, that is so deeply rooted to thoughts and feelings, only accepts the Mind Energy. This is all there is to it."

"And the Life Energy?", Naoto wanted to know.

"Life Energy is the most difficult energy of those three.", Mitsuru answered. "It rules over our whole body and forces it until its limits. An individual that awakens to this energy is not bound to the two worlds' rules and can summon Personas in each world, no matter if they possess the other two energies."

"So does that mean Professor Yamagishi has awakened to that energy now?", Yukikoasked. "Since she can summon a Persona in both worlds now?"

"No. I'm only lucky to have the other two energies under control.", Fuuka said and shook her head.

"Life Energy has another advantage. A great one at that.", Mitsuru said. "No matter how one is able to control the Body Energy and the Mind Energy, they will only be able to summon one Persona in our world and one Persona inside the TV world. The Life Energy though enables one to unleash all of those facets one is made up of and summon them as Personas. In other words-"

"That Person can summon countless of Personas.", Naoto ended her sentence and now stared at Soujitogether with everyone else.

"Precisely.", Mitsuru agreed. "A person like that is also known as the _`Wild Card_´."

~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Oh wow! Has it really been that long since I posted something? 0.o**

**Let´s just say I was kinda tired of SMTstuff, like if you've eaten something too often, you just don't want to eat it anymore for a while. But I'm back now, with new love for SMT!**

**And we've entered a retelling phase of P3 for those who only know P4, btw.**

**On a sidenote, for any Naruto fan: The word "Chakra" doesn't originate from _Naruto_ so please don't jump at me for using it. The series merely took it, like ATLUS took their ideas for Personas from ancient Gods and such, for example. I´m 99% sure that everyone knows this, but there are always people like that who jump at you if you use something that's often used somewhere else so I'm just making sure by writing this.**

**And I'd like to remind you once again that I didn't make up that the "Potential" disappears the older you get. This information is shown in the Persona Anime. Look it up if you don't believe me. ;)**

**Funkymunky: Ewww! Fuuka's new Persona Brynhildr is designed after the shieldmaiden (that's why it casts `shield spells´) and valkyrie of the Norse Mythology Brynhildr, not that disgusting car in FF XIII!**

**Guibin: That question has been asked many times now, but I´m still not gonna answer it. :P I know that P3 and P4 aren´t that far away from each other in regard to years, and there is no time traveling, that much I can say.**

**HoLYDeVil HeLLioN & HungrySano: Thank you! =)**

**Patcheresu: Fuuka'sstruggle with her Shadow wasn't about her feeling inferior to her relatives. She admitted almost immediately that they all look down upon her. It was about her hating herself that she doubts Minato's intentions.**

**Bagman is and will always be a bastard. I don't see were I could have invoked any kind of sympathy for that sicko.**

**Sun: - a new period of happiness and prosperity; energy and self-belief to make any of your dreams become reality** **= Fuuka finally overcoming her doubts**

**Brynhildr: Shieldmaiden, representing Fuuka's wish to `shield´/protect her friends.**

"And PS: It's actually pronounced "yew-no" not "jew-no" because the spelling is TRANLSATED with a J but it is actually a Latin Consonant I." - ***snrk* I'm German, meaning I speak a language that is veeeery close to Latin, so of course I know how to pronounce that.**

**Thank you for your reviews, everyone!**


	67. Chapter 67: SEES' story

_**Chapter 67: S.E.E.S.' story**_

"Life Energy has another advantage. A great one at that.", Mitsuru said. "No matter how one is able to control the Body Energy and the Mind Energy, they will only be able to summon one Persona in our world and one Persona inside the TV world. The Life Energy though enables one to unleash all of those facets one is made up of and summon them as Personas. In other words-"

"That Person can summon countless of Personas.", Naoto ended her sentence and now stared at Souji together with everyone else.

"Precisely.", Mitsuru agreed. "A person like that is also known as the _`Wild Card_´."

"Um...", Souji looked around, feeling a bit uncomfortable now that everyone was staring at him."

"Are there many who can control this Life Energy?", Teddie asked curiously.

"Presently, we only know of three individuals who can control it: Seta here and our two former leaders.", Mitsuru answered.

"Two leaders?", Rise repeated.

"We'll get to that later.", Mitsuru replied. "The important aspect is that Life Energy - just as Mind Energy - will never weaken-"

"Wrong.", Naoto interrupted her. The Kirijo Group's president raised an eyebrow in question. "Seta-senpai can't summon multiple Personas anymore."

Mitsuru threw a glance at Akihiko who only shrugged in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I´ve noticed that, too.", Chie agreed. "You're just using the same Persona again and again. At first I thought it's because you like that Persona best, but that's not it, is it="

"You can summon more than one Persona?", Kou asked, having only seen Souji summoning Izanagi so far.

"Well... Yeah...", Souji started, hesitating. "... I don't really know myself why I can't summon more Personas anymore." _`Liar!´_, his consciousness immediately screamed at him. To tell them why he wasn't able to summon multiple Personas would mean explaining them about the Velvet Room as well, and didn't really feel like opening that can of worms. Naoto already hated him. And when imagining what the others might think of him if they ever learned of Social Links, he felt sick in an instant.

"Hmm... That is very interesting.", Mitsuru said, analyzing Souji. "This would change the ranking completely, setting Mind Energy on top of all of them since it will never vanish."

"No, it can vanish as well. I'm the living proof.", Yukiko interjected, slightly depressed. "My will power had almost completely vanished due to certain incidents, and so my Shadow had appeared once again. I couldn´t face myself again, ending in me losing the ability to summon a Persona."

"Oh..." Mitsuru looked thoughtful. "So it seems that all of them can vanish, although with the Body Energy it is 100 per cent sure that it will one day vanish completely."

"Speaking about Yukiko's Shadow: I had noticed that the Shadow that appeared again back then looked a bit different from the one we had encountered in Yukiko's Castle years ago. Kanji's Shadow looked different, too.", Chie remembered.

"Shadows represent one's true self. I assume the Shadows had taken on a new form to represent the new conflict of their individual.", Naoto said. "Amagi-senpai's Shadow was carrying heavy burdens: It means Senpai is kept down by various things and overwhelmed by them. Tatsumi's Shadow was a mix between manliness due to its huge body and girlish behaviour due to its pink colour, representing his struggle between his two personalities."

"Yes, I think that's right.", Yukiko agreed. "Though I'm still not completely sure what it is my Shadow had wanted to tell me. I..."

"Just take your time, Yukiko.", Chie encouraged her. "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon."

Yukiko nodded hesitantly and smiled at her.

"But one thing's certain: None of us is safe when entering the TV world.", Rise opined. "Every one of us could be attacked by their Shadow again..."

"Everyone but me! I´ve learned my lesson!", Kanji announced, grinning.

"Nobody is safe...", Naoto mumbled and hung her head before looking up again when Mitsuru loudly cleared her throat.

Beside her Akihiko was whacking janitor Iori's head since he had started to fall asleep.

"Well, let's get back to our escapades, shall we.", Mitsuru started to lead the conversation once again. "As already mentioned, my father had tried to make up for my grandfather's mistakes, and created an organization that would act camouflaged as students under the Name _`Sepcialized Extracurricular Execution Squad´_- or in short S.E.E.S. -, lead by the chairman Shuji Ikutsuki and me. We started searching for individuals that head the Potential - which we now know as _Body Energy_- and found Akihiko here a bit later who joined our organisation together with his old childhood friend." Short glances were thrown at Akihiko who suddenly looked rather miserable when his old friend was mentioned. "We three fought against the Shadows for several years - Ikutsuki wasn't able to summon a Persona - until Akihiko's friend left our organization due to an unfortunate accident. Only to fighters were left..." She sighed shortly, before continuing. "A few years later again Yukari Takeba, also having the Potential, joined us. Her father was the researcher who had let the Shadows escape from the research laboratory to stop my grandfather."

"And that... Takeba is dead now... isn't she?", Yukiko asked.

"... Yes.", came the miserable answer from Mitsuru. Koromaru let out a quiet pitiful bark and nuzzled her cheek. She smiled at him and scratched him behind his ears. "Takeba didn't stay our new team member for long. Shortly after a young man named Minato Arisato joined our team, followed by Junpei Iori here so tha-" But she stopped when she saw the looks the Investigation Team was giving her. "... Did I say something strange?", she asked.

"Oh, well...", Chie started and threw a glance at Yosuke. "It's just that... well..."

"... My mother's name sounds about the same.", Yosuke explained, thoughts about his mother depressing him once again. "Her name's `Minako Hanamura´. Sounds like `Minato´, only that there's a `k´ instead of a `t´ in the name. That's why."

"Oh, I see...", Mitsuru said.

"Minato Arisato...", Naoto mumbled and looked at Mitsuru. "You aren't talking about a Minato Arisato that had lost his parents as a child and had his academic studies paid by his remaining relatives, are you?"

"... Y-yeah! How do you...?", Junpei started, puzzled.

"So he's still alive?", Naoto asked him. "We... We were really worried about him!"

"Uh... huh...?"

"Minato Arisato is my cousin.", Naoto explained, excitement evident in her voice. "My parents and his parents lost their lives in a car accident years ago. His academic studies had been paid by my grandpa."

"... Now that you mention it... You look a lil' like him.", Junpei said and nodded.

"Where is he now?", Naoto wanted to know and looked at Mitsuru.

"He...", Mitsuru started. "He is dead."

The sudden light in Naoto's eyes was once again extinct, huge barriers forming around her again. "Oh...", she only said and looked down. "We had assumed something like that when we hadn't received any more messages from him... The police just couldn't tell us anything. We had searched for him, without success."

"That would be the Kirijo Group's fault.", Mitsuru sighed. Naoto stared at her questioningly. "We had covered up his death since the Shadows had been involved. I'm sorry."

"I see...", Naoto said, once again remembering the old days when she and her cousin had played together in that huge garden. After she had moved with her grandfather, she had never seen him in person again. He had been pretty much the only friend she had had when she was younger. Only letters had informed her how her cousin was, until they had one day just stopped. Now she knew why...

"Oh, now I remember!", Hiro who seemed to feel much better now suddenly shouted. "Patty, that guy was called Minato as well, wasn't he?"

"Hmm?" Patty looked at him in confusion. "... Oh, you mean the little boy who had always snuck on our estate?"

"Yeah, that boy! He'd promised to marry you back then!", Hiro agreed.

"Ah ha ha! Yea, he did!", Patty remembered in amusement. "He'd always told me that he really liked how I smell like jasmine! But I don't think that was the same Minato they're talking about, Hiroshi."

"I absolutely understand that Minato guy! I love your smell as well, Patty-chaaaaaan!", Teddie shouted and suddenly jumped at a loudly screeching Patty who punched him to the side.

"Perverted Teddy bear!", she snarled.

_`Minato...´_, Souji thought and remembered the little boy who had once tried to befriend him shortly before he had had to move to another city once again. Could he have been the same Minato? Could he and Patty and Hiro have met him as well? He shook his head. No, there was no way that many coincidences could have happened.

"At any rate, Minato Arisato became S.E.E.S.' leader rather easily.", Mitsuru returned once again to her story.

"He became your leader?", Naoto repeated. "You said that both leaders of S.E.E.S. could control the Life Energy. So Minato could summon multiple Personas as well?"

"Indeed.", Mitsuru agreed. "And it was that fact that made Arisato our leader."

"Comes in pretty handy if there's always someone who can kick the Shadows' asses with Agi, Bufu, Zio and Garu at once.", Junpei said, grinning.

"Having gotten considerably strong now, our organization started exploring Tartarus.", Mitsuru continued.

"Tartarus... That's the place Professor Yamagishi has created inside the TV world, isn´t it?", Yosuke asked.

"Yes.", Fuuka said and nodded, cringing just like her friends when Yosuke spoke to her.

"Tartarus was the new form Gekkoukan High would always take during the Dark Hour.", Mitsuru explained. "The building that had served as a secret reasearch laboratory for so long, had been changed the most when the Shadows escaped, and had become a completely abstruse structure: A nest full of Shadows."

"Their nest, huh?", Kanji repeated.

"We assumed the reason behind the Dark Hour inside Tartarus and starting investigating inside it.", Mitsuru told them. "Shortly after, Yamagishi joined our cause, her ability to analyze and find the weakness of Shadows proving as an invaluable asset to our team."

"Finding Shadows' weaknesses... Just like me!", Rise said.

"We found it that the twelve great Shadows that had escaped the research laboratory were still alive and always returned during a full moon to wreak havoc upon the city.", Mitsuru said. "It was a full moon when the Magician Shadow attacked headquarters. It was a full moon when the Priestess Shadow took control over a train. It was also a full moon when the Emperor and Empress Shadows had appeared inside Tartarus. There was no doubt about our theory about the full moon."

"That order...", Naoto started.

"Yes. It's the same order the Shadows had escaped that gate that Yamagishi-sensei's Shadow had become.", Souji said and nodded.

"Correct.", Akihiko said. "What you had been fighting against were the Full Moon Shadows, only weaker than the real ones."

"So that is why you knew so much about those Shadows, Akihiko-san.", Naoto noted.

Mitsuru, Junpei and Ken threw a questioning glance at Akihiko.

"It's about the form Fuuka's Shadow had taken. I'll explain it to you later.", Akihiko promised them.

"Acceptable.", Mitsur agreed. "At any rate, Ikutsuki came to the conclusion that the Dark Hour would vanish, if we were to defeat all of those twelve Full Moon Shadows since it had all started with them. We prepared for each of those Shadows thoroughly by training inside Tartarus. During that time several other individuals who had the Potential joined us: Ken Amada here, Aigis, Koromaru - the dog sitting in my lap -, and Akihiko's old friend returned to S.E.E.S. as well."

Souji made a strangled noise when Mitsuru mentioned Aigis' name, but nobody heard him.

"We defeated one Full Moon Shadow after another, and it would have continued that smoothly if Strega hadn't suddenly turned up."

"Strega?", Chie repeated.

"Their group consisted of three people who had been used as test subjects by Mitsuru-san's grandfather years before.", Ken explained.

Hiro's whole body shuddered anew.

"Oh, you mean those children they had been trying to awaken to their Personas forcefully by giving them all kinds of medicaments?", Yukiko asked.

"Exactly.", Ken said.

"Those three were the only surviving test subjects.", Mitsuru continued. "All test subjects had been assumed to be dead, all of them having died during the explosion in the research laboratory. But those three had managed to escape during that explosion Two of them were Jin and Takaya; the ones who had spread those rumours about the Dark Hour on the internet." Naoto nodded. "Strega aimed to stop us from defeating the remaining Full Moon Shadows. They were doing all kinds of dubious things during the Dark Hour and didn't want us to end their fun."

"Ugh! Sounds like real assholes!", Kanji grumbled.

"And the third person?", Naoto asked.

"I´d like to keep that person's identity a secret since they are now on our side and live a normal life.", Mitsuru replied.

"I see."

"Anyway, now we had Strega to deal with as well together with the Full Moon Shadows, and we lost our first team member: Akihiko's old friend.", Mitsuru said, voice having taken on a rather sad note. "Completely paralyzed by that, we had needed a few days again before we could enter Tartarus again to train.

Finally, we defeated all of those twelve Shadows, yet..."

"Something went wrong.", Souji guessed.

"Yes.", Mitsuru sighed and nodded. "The real nightmare was about to begin..."

~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes:**

**Patcheresu: I meant that as in German and Latin having the same pronunciation. And since I don't want to start some kinda argument here, this is the end.**

**DropletofSour: Ken is either 17 or 18 years old. For me that´s a "young man" already. ;)**

**Thank you for reviewing!**


	68. Chapter 68: The maternal being Nyx

_**Chapter 68: The maternal being Nyx**_

It had been some time since he had last been in Inaba. Too strong was the smell and the presence of Nanako here. Too strong was the temptation of kidnapping her. Mr. Bagman had to hold himself back as good as possible if he didn't want to break into the Dojima's house, kill the old nanny and steal Nanako - which of course would be a very foolish thing to do; the last time he had tried it, he had barely escaped that Margaret who was protecting her probably even now. He had been forced to sacrifice far too many barriers that night...

No, this time he would need to gather as many spare ones as he could get before he would challenge that cold woman and most likely Seta and his friends as well. As soon as he was ready, he would strike, kidnap her, and Miki-

But he stopped his thoughts before he became too excited to think clearly, and continued to scurry through Inaba's alleys as its shadow.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Hanako!", he could suddenly hear a young woman near his currently location and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Bye, Ai!", another female voice - this one sounding like a pig - could be heard.

He dared to take a peek and struck his head out of the ground. A rather attractive woman with long, wavy hair and a pig-like woman were standing near him. What a strange combo. That two individuals so completely different could be friends...

Rather hurriedly, he ducked back into the ground when the woman named Ai turned around after waving at Hanako and entered the alley were Mr. Bagman was hiding. He stuck his head back out of the ground when she had passed him.

_`Quite beautiful, this young lady...´_, the old professor thought in admiration, staring at her long legs. _`Such smooth skin... A truly magnificent addition to my collection! Yet still...´_ He suddenly seemed to be pouting. _`... unfortunately, she's already too old.´_

With a slight sigh the old professor ducked his head back into the ground and continued onward to search for his next victim.

~.~.~.~

"Yes.", Mitsuru sighed and nodded. "The real nightmare was about to begin..."

"And what a nightmare that was, dude!", Junpei cut into the conversation. "Nobody coulda thought that would happen! I mean we'd beaten the crap out of alla those fuckin' Full Moon Twerps: That sword-swinging thing that seemed to be made outta hands only. That Porno Queen that had taken control of tha train. Those two freaks who wanted ta storm Tartarus. That wanna-be king and that over-sized flying heart-what-ever-the-hell-it-was at the love hotel. Those two war fetishists that were waitin' for us underground. That Imma-Firin'-Mah-Lazers Thing that had been eating away at Club Escapades electric cables-"

"Wait a minute! What? A Shadow had taken over the club?", Rise interrupted him.

"Uh... yeah?", the janitor answered rather unintelligently.

"So a Shadow had been the cause of my gig being ruined there...", Rise mumbled. Souji and the others looked at her questioningly. "Do you remember when we'd had our little _`adventure´_ in that club on our class trip?"

"Ah, you mean when Teddie had been the king?", Teddie asked excitedly.

"... King?", Patty repeated rather puzzled and unbelieving.

"We don't have to talk about that!", Chie quickly interrupted him while Yosuke whacked the blond Shadow's head a few times to shut him up.

"Well, um, I had told you back then that the owners of that club still owed me one for the failed gig.", Rise continued to explain. "It had been that Hermit Shadow's fault all along."

"It would seem so.", Mitsuru replied.

"Uh, what were we talking about...", Junpei mumbled and scratched his goat beard. "Oh yeah! That Volt Freak in tha club. That capital Wheel of Fortune-loving asshole and its princess near the station at the shopping street. And that SM Freak on the Moonlight Bridge."

"I assume that `SM Freak´ would be the Hanged Man Shadow that Yamagishi-sensei's Shadow had skipped in its rage. Correct?", Naoto asked.

"Correct.", Akihiko answered, and to the questioning looks of the other S.E.E.S. members: "Later."

"Looked like we'd finally reached the enter of alla that crap, havin' defeated those Shadow Freaks and those assholes from Strega.", Junpei continued cheerfully. "We'd even had a huuuge party with Sushi and fatty Tuna and alla that good stuff. But..."

"But there was another Dark Hour the night after we had defeated all twelve Full Moon Shadows. It seemed like our ordeal was not over yet.", Mitsuru took charge over the conversation again. "Our confusion about the Dark Hour still existing didn't last long thought since Tartarus' bell already rang seconds later, giving us the hint that something must be going on there. We stormed towards Tartarus just to find Ikutuski and Aigis there..."

"Ikutsukia was the school's chairman that had been working together with S.E.E.S., right?", Yukiko asked.

"Right.", Mitsuru answered, voice tense. "It was also Ikutsuki who had had the idea that the Dark Hour would vanish once we had defeated all of those twelve Full Moon Shadows. And defeat them we did, just like Ikutsuki had planned."

"... Huh?" Rise looked at her in confusion.

"Ikutsuki was a traitor.", Naoto reasoned.

"Right.", Mitsuru said again, now even more tense. "Defeating the twelve Full Moon Shadows didn't make our situation any better but worse. We had done just what Ikutsuki had wanted us to do all along." She sighed. "The twelve Shadows had once been one huge Shadow that my grandfather's researchers had created from gathering hundreds of Shadows. When Yukari Takeba's father had led the Shadow - whose Arcana was Death, by the way - escape, it had split into twelve parts shortly after; those twelve parts are the Full Moon Shadow that we had defeated. By defeating all of those parts the huge Shadow of the Death Arcana had been reawakened. Ikutsuki who had been one of my grandfather's researchers as well had gotten what he wanted."

"So I assume Ikutsuki had been one of those men who had been plotting behind your grandfather's back to use the Shadow for their own gain.", Naoto guessed.

Mitsuru nodded.

"Fuckin' Ikutsuki, man!", Junpei grumbled. "Always acted like a total goofball with his dumb jokes and his idiotic behaviour, and then that! Not funny, man! Such an asshole!"

"Yeah, I think it was kinda like that for us when we'd found out that the goofball Adachi was the killer all along.", Chie remembered.

"The goofballs are always the bad guys!", Teddie agreed and nodded seriously before staring at Hiro. "You're a goofball, too! Does that mean you're the bad guy this time?"

"Teddie!", Patty shouted, indignant.

"Ooooh yes, I'm veeeeeery eeevil!", Hiro cackled and stared at Teddie like a lunatic, making the blond Shadow fall backwards from the bed.

"Idiot...", Yosuke only sighed and shook his head.

"So that Ikutsuki is a traitor.", Souji said.

"_Was_.", Mitsuru corrected him, voice ice-could. "Ikutsuki is dead."

"Oh..."

"He had programmed Aigis so that he had to help him overwhelm us and take us to the rooftop of the school's observatory."

"... Programmed?", Souji repeated, puzzled.

"Aigis is a robot with human feelings, created by the Kirijo Group.", Akihiko explained. "She is- was a weapon created to battle Shadows with a Persona."

_`So that's why Aigis always seems so strange to me...´_, Souji thought and remembered the few meetings inside the Velvet Room - and their one meeting outside of it - he had had with Igor's new assistant. She had always seemed so mechanical. Now he knew why...

"He hung us on crosses that he had prepared on the observatory where he had started talking like a lunatic, about how he we were going to be the first sacrifices for death himself. Aigis was supposed to shoot us.", Mitsuru continued. "But before that could happen, my..." She stopped and then tried anew. "My fa-... He..."

"Mitsuru's father shot Ikutsuki.", Akihiko took over for her. "... Ikutsuki had shot Mitsuru's father at the same moment. Both of them died..."

Silence in the room.

"... Aigis-san had managed to snap out of her confusion by herself and freed us.", the young man named Ken eventually continued. "I do not want to think about what could have happened that night if she had stayed under Ikutsuki-san's control..."

"Completely thrown off track through this new twist of events, we just continued to vegetate, like animals waiting to be slaughtered on a ranch.", Mitsuru continued, voice slightly choked now. "It was about a month later that the new student Ryoji Mochizuki arrived at Gekkoukan High."

"Aigis' first comment about him had been that he was _`dangerous´_, but we hadn't really taken her serious at that time since that Ryoji had asked every female person at school to go out with him on a date, ya see.", Junpei said.

"Sounds like you.", Yosuke said to Teddie.

"What? How can you say that?", Teddie whined.

"Oooh, Yuki-chan, do you want to score? Yeah? Yeeeeaaaah? Chie-chan, let's go score a bit together! Nao-chan, how about some scoring? Hold meeeeeeee!", Yosuke imitated him.

Teddie just pouted.

"Nearly another month later we finally found out what Aigis had meant.", Mitsuru said. "Ryochi Mochizuki was the result of the twelve Full Moon Shadows that had reorganized themselves. He was the huge Shadow of the Death Arcana that had once escaped the laboratory."

"What?", Kanji, Kou and Chie shouted in unison.

"Ryoji had lost all of his memories about what he had once been.", Akihiko explained.

"Again, sounds like you.", Yosuke said and looked at Teddie.

"But when Aigis confronted him on the Moonlight Bridge during the Dark Hour, he remembered again: Shortly after escaping the laboratory years ago he had met Aigis on that same bridge.", Mitsuru continued. "Both of them fought, but since Ryoji was death himself Aigis had no chance of defeating him with her Persona... so... she sealed a part of him in a small boy who had been standing near a car that was on fire: Minato Arisato..."

"A car that was on fire... That was the night my parents and Minato's parents had died in the car...", Naoto mumbled bitterly. "They had lost their lives because that Aigis and that Ryoji had battled there..." Mitsuru nodded. A rather choked noise could be heard from Naoto who had now turned her head to the side so that nobody could see the tears trickling down her face.

"So... the way I see it...", Kou said after a short moment of silence. "That huge Shadow had really been split into thirteen parts, right? Another part had been sealed inside that Minato person."

"Exactly.", Mitsuru said and nodded. "When Aigis sealed a part of the Shadow inside Minato Arisato, the Shadow split into twelve more parts, all of them scattering everywhere. Years later when Arisato returned to Port Island as a student, the Shadow's part that was inside him led him towards the other parts - each full moon one or two new parts - to become one huge Shadow again."

"Brr..." Yukiko's body shivered. "Scary... To think that he had been carrying something like that around with him for years..."

"The appearance of the big Death Shadow had made Tartarus' bell ring.", Mitsuru continued. "The ringing bell meant that soon the maternal being Nyx would descend to the earth."

"Nyx... I've heard that name several times now.", Souji said.

"Nyx, as Ryoji had explained to us, is a goddess that, once it is called, descends upon earth to annihilate every living being.", Mitsuru said. "Nyx is immortal and thus can't be defeated."

"Ugh! Cheater!", Chie groaned.

"And thanks to Ryoji this being would appear at the end of the first month of the new year - 2010, to be exact - on the top of Tartarus which was there as some kind of welcoming shrine for her.", Mitsuru said. "Ryoji gave us two choies: Kill him while he is still in his human state to forget everything and live in peace until Nyx would appear, or let him live and feel agony and pain until Nyx would descend upon us all. We chose the second option and proceeded to climb to the top of Tartarus on the promised day."

"Fuckin' Strega assholes had to get in our way again, of course!", Junpei snarled. "Thought we'd finally had gotten rid of 'em, but no! Tch!"

"It was during that time between Ryoji's announcement about Nyx and Nyx' appearance that Strega had posted all those things that Shirogane had told you about on the internet.", Mitsuru said. "That night when Nyx set foot on Tartarus, the two members that could not be redeemed both died. Jin blew himself up when several Shadows inside Tartarus tried to attack him, Takaya died during our battle against Nyx.

The battle against Nyx itself was..."

"Scaaaary!", Junpei interrupted her. "Frickin' piece o' shit was always babbling abound some psycho stuff and changin' from one Arcana to the next!"

"Our enemy that night was Nyx Avatar: Ryoji who had taken on his ultimate form as Nyx' servant.", Akihiko explained. "The words that being had said towards us were the same Fuuka's Shadow had said to you all. `The Arcana is the means...´, and so on."

"So Yamagishi-sensei's Shadow copied the battle against Nyx' Avatar, so to say.", Naoto realized, having recovered a bit.

"Yes.", Akihiko agreed.

"When we finally thought that we had defeated that dreadful creature, it only rose towards the heavens.", Mitsuru continued. "Nyx Avatar opened the full moon."

"It what?", Chie shouted, wearing a WTF face.

"It opened the Full Moon where Nyx had been resting all this time, waiting her final descend opon earth.", Mitsuru repeated. "All inhabitants of Port Island awakened from their sleep in their coffins, and one after another died from the attacks Nyx let loose. It seemed like this was the end."

"But here we all are, alive.", Yosuke said. "Something must have happened."

"Minato-san... He... just started flying... It was...", Ken started.

"Just like Nyx Avatar, Arisato suddenly started flying, higher and higher, and finally entered the moon where he somehow managed to defeat Nyx.", Mitsuru explained.

"But... I thought Nyx was immortal?", Yukiko asked.

"Yes...", Mitsuru said. "It was unexplainable to us as well, but he had somehow managed to defeat Nyx, efficiently ending the Dark Hour as well.

... Several months later Arisato paid for his success in defeating Nyx with his life, though. He had just used up to much energy in that fight against the goddess, it seemed..."

Silence again.

"And if you think that was crazy, you're absolutely gonna love the rest!", Junpei announced.

"... It's not over yet?", Souji asked, eyes huge.

"Not yet, no...", Mitsuru sighed. "At this point our second leader took charge over S.E.E.S. ..."

~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: First of, before I get to the ranting section: There's going to be one last chapter after this that will focuse on retelling P3's story. After that we will continue with the presence again. And heeeeere comes the rant:**

**So I just **_**have**_** to write this in regards to one reviewer here that I have to ignore from now on: I certainly like nice reviews (like everyone else does, of course), but I can also take critical reviews (when I made a grammar mistake, horrible writing style, wrote something that actually never happened in the games, etc.) and appreciate those. What I simply **_**hate**_**, though, are reviews that keep on whining because I didn't let the story progress how that reviewer wants. How the story progresses has already been decided about a year ago when I posted the first chapter here, and that will not change because someone whines and whines and whines how that and that is stupid, sorry! So all praise or criticism is very much appreciated, but I will not let myself be persuaded to change the story itself. You can, of course, tell me that you think the story sucks. ;)**

**Guibin: Oh, `medication´! Okay, thanks! *stores away to memories* And yes, Naoto and Minato being related is just made up by me. Many Persona fans have always joked about how Naoto looks like a female Minato so that's were the idea came from. I hope these last chapters can bring you up-to-date with everything that has happened in P3. It is for every person that hasn't played/seen P3 but wants to fully understand this fanfiction that I'm taking my time to fully explain the story of that game.**

**P4anonman: Thank you for your nice review. Unfortunately, I don't know the site you are talking about, but it's cool that my fanfiction gets recommended somewhere else. ^^**

**Xoraan: Thank your for the review! Yeah, I'm trying to keep those mistakes from happening as good as possible, but they will happen every now and then. Sucks that German has to be my native language, because I really would have rather grown up and learned English as a mother tounge. Also, I´ve finally taken a shoooort glance at your story, but the moment I saw it was a P4 one I clicked away again. I just don't want to accidentally take something from another story so I never read a story of the same fandom I'm currently writing for, sorry. But from what I have seen you only have 7 chapters or so yet (though they are pretty large ones, of course). I guess I only have this much reviews since I have so many - albeit short - chapters, and the same individual writes a review for each chapter. That gathers many review, of course. I don't particularly think of my fanfiction as anything special, to be honest. It's just my way of posting short chapters that got me all of those reviews.**

**Thank you for reviewing, everyone!**


	69. Chapter 69: Abyss of Time

_**Chapter 69: Abyss of Time**_

"... And that person really lives here?", Mrs. Hanamura asked Elizabeth end the cloaked person while walking through a seriously wonderous area.

"That is what we sense, at least.", Elizabeth answered and stopped right in front of a corner. "Target found."

"Then why are you suddenly stopping like that?", Mrs. Hanamura huffed, only to be grabbed and pulled back by the cloaked person; just in time since a Mudoon attack had been fired at her direction. "How dare you!", Yosuke's mother shouted at the person who had thrown that spell at her.

"You're in my territory!", said person snarled. "And the energy of the Shadow Seta and his friends killed should have been enough to reach your goal! Don't think I'm foolish enough to let you approach me now!"

"I told you, that person knows what we are planning to do with them once we have gotten what we want.", the cloaked person sighed and turned around the corner to face that unknown person.

Mrs. Hanamura held her breath when suddenly there were dozens of explosions shattering the ground.

Then suddenly there was silence...

"Let us proceed.", Elizabeth said and turned around the corner as well, followed by a more than hesitant Mrs. Hanamura.

Both of them stopped when they saw the cloaked person who had summoned a Tetrakarn and a Makarakarn shield around her, staring right into the eyes of some gigantic being.

"We are _not_ here to fight you.", Elizabeth explained.

"Yeah, right!", the giant being snarled, not believing her at all.

"If we had come here with the intention to fight and then kill you, you would be long since dead by now!", Mrs. Hanamura snapped angrily.

"How dare you look down upon me, human!", the giant barked down at her and swung one of its hand in warning.

"If we had reached our goal, the first person we would be visiting now would certainly not be you.", the cloaked person interfered calmy. "Do you know who would have been our first target instead?"

The giant stared at those three people for a while before it slowly nodded.

"And? Can you feel him somewhere in this world? Do you feel him nearby with us?", the cloaked person continued questioning.

"... No.", the giant whispered. "... So it was a failure."

"Precisely.", Elizabeth said.

There was a bloodcurling snapping as the giant shrank and shrank until it had taken on its usual form. "What do you want from me then?"

"During the battle against Fuuka Yamagishi's Shadow I had felt something strange that had interfered.", the cloaked person explained. "We want you to investigate what exactly it was that interfered."

"Something strange?", the person that had now taken on its normal form repeated.

"Yes. It is Hiroshi Sideu. I am certain that he is the reason why the Shadow's energy didn't reach the gate."

~.~.~.~.~

A loud yawn from Hiro made everyone in Naoto's lounge cringe immediately. "Ah, sorry!", he apologized whimsically. "It's just that all those boring explanations really made me tired! Tee hee hee!"

Mitsuru snorted in annoyance before returning to their discussion. "About a month after Minato's death-" She stopped shortly and let her gaze wander to Naoto who didn't seem particularly affected by her mentioning the name. "- the dorm that had served so long as S.E.E.S. base was going to get closed forever."

"It wasn't needed anymore, after all. Was better closin' it now.", Junpei said. "Was a bit said to end it like that, though."

"You're talking about that house like it had been your lover, Junpei-san.", Ken said.

"U-um..."

"Most of the remaining members of our organization had gathered inside the house on the last open day - March, 31 - to say goodbye to each other since all of us would head into different directions soon.", Mitsuru continued to spare Junpei from embarrassing himself even more. "It was also the day when we had all decided to hand over our Evokers to end that dark chapter once and for all.

We had celebrated the whole night and..."

"... And?", Teddie repeated curiously.

"When we woke up the next day, it was March, 31.", Mitsuru said.

"Huh? I dun' really understand.", Kanji said. "What's so special about that day?"

"Ugh, Kanji!", Rise snapped at him and rolled her eyes. "The last day the dorm was open was March, 31! So how can it still be March, 31 the next day?"

"Oh... Oh!" Kanji finally seemed to understand.

"We didn't really think anything of it at all first and just thought that maybe we were still somewhat tired from the small party, and we all went to bed.", Mitsuru continued to tell the story. "But it didn't take long before the dorm's floor suddenly opened and someone can out of it."

"Shadows?", Kou asked.

"No.", Mitsuru replied. "It was a girl. But that girl didn't really look that normal, no. She looked rather... _mechanical_, like Aigis, who started battling that intruder immediately. Both of them attacked each other with their Personas and Aigis seemed to win the battle, but... the intruder used a technique to raise her attack power - `Orgia Mode´, a technique the Kirijo Groupd had invented especially for Aigis - and defeated Aigis. My fears had been confirmed; that intruder was a robot - an Anti Shadow Weapon - just like Aigis."

"So there were more robots like Aigis.", Naoto said.

"Oh yes. Aigis hadn't been the only model. Back then we had just believed that she was the only remaining model that still worked.", Mitsuru replied. "The new robot started to kill everyone inside the room, her first target Amada. And he wouldn't be with us today anymore - none of us would be standing here anymore, to be exact - if Aigis' Life Energy hadn't awakened that night, summon a new Persona: Orpheus, the Persona that Minato Arisato had also summoned first. With the help of that Persona she managed to defeat the other robot."

"A robot that managed to awaken its Life Energy...", Naoto mumbled impressed, while Souji just stared at Mitsuru. Why would someone like Aigis who was also a Wild Card like him stay in the Velvet Room? Was it so that she could find Philemon to get back her powers? Or was her reason for staying there another one...?

"When the robot awakened once again, she immediately proceeded to tell us the weirdest story: Beneath the ground an absolutely distorted place had supposedly started forming, spreading wider and wider towards our dorm.", Mitsuru continued. "The moment it had reached the dorm and attached itself to it, it wreaked havoc upon time and space, making the same day repeat itself again and again."

"Just like in that movie, _`Groundhog Day´_.", Chie mused.

"... Excuse me?", Mitsuru asked, puzzled.

"Just ignore her. She spends far too much time reading mangas and watching TV when she's not busy kicking over people's groins!", Yosuke said, earning himself death glares from Kou and Chie.

"We followed the robot who was named Metis down to the place where it had come from and found a giant area that had started to grow there.", Mitsuru told them. "Metis assumed that that place - The Abyss of Time - had started forming because of the members of our organization, and she had started to kill us in order to save Aigis who she was referring to as her `sister´, because killing us might stop the Abyss of Time from spreading farther if we really were the reason for it coming into being."

"Her sister?", Yukiko repeated.

"Well, same brand, same creator - same daddy, so to say -; you could say they were a happy family.", Junpei chuckled.

"So if we wanted to leave the dorm, that was now completely sealed, and restore the flow of time, we had to investigate this Abyss of Time. We had no other choice.", Mitsuru said. "Due to Aigis' plea to find another way out, Metis stopped attacking us and instead joined our group, Aigis being our new leader since she was now able to summon multiple Personas."

"The Abyss of Time was a really strange place.", Akihiko opined. "It was separated into several areas which you could enter through different doors, each floor like a labyrinth. It was... like we were back in Tartarus again, especially because of all the Shadows inside it."

"Those punks again!", Kanji groaned, annoyed.

"The Abyss of Time was, like we noted fairly quickly, a place that reacted to those who were traveling inside it.", Mitsuru explained. "Thus we found a door that led us to Paulownia Mall were we could buy food and new equipment since we badly needed those."

"A place that reacts to human emotions...", Teddie mumbled. "That sounds like..."

"Yes, it sounds just like the TV world.", Patty agreed.

Mitsuru nodded in agreement and continued: "It wasn't just helpful places we found inside the Abyss of Time. Not only were there countless Shadows roaming the floors, but there was also some strange figure that seemed to be wandering around the Abyss of Time, always one step ahead of us. We had to be very careful not walk into that creature's trap...

At any rate, the Abyss of Time was divided into several different areas, each of them leading to a giant door that showed us part of the past of one of our group. We were confused at first and didn't really understand why we were shown those moments of our past, but eventually we understood: The moment each of us awakened to our Potential - our Body Energy - was shown to us."

"Ken awakened to his Potential when the police officers didn't believe him that a monster - a Persona - was the cause of his mother's death, and he had decided to find the murderer himself.", Akihiko explained. "I completely awakened to my Potential when I met Mitsuru for the first time and she offered me to join her so that I could test my strength against fiercer opponents.

Junpei and Koromaru awakened to their Potential when both of them met at Paulownia Mall, both of them feeling alone and desperate.

Yukari Takeba awakened to her Potential when she got a letter from her dead father, shortly before the new school year had started.

Mitsuru awakened to her Potential when she protected her father who had been attacked by Shadows inside Tartarus.

And finally we saw Aigis who was chasing after Minato in her nightmares who was always walking away from her. In her despair and her feelings for him she wished she would have never learned to feel like a human being so that the pain would finally stop. That was the moment she awakened as a Wild Card."

"And Yamagishi-sensei's past?", Naoto asked.

"There was no need to see that moment. All of us had been present when Yamagishi had awakened to her Potential back then inside Tartarus, after all.", Mitsuru explained. "So we had found out what all of those flashbacks meant. We had opened all of the doors inside the Abyss of Time, and it was time to face the reason why this place had come into being." She stopped for a moment, before she continued: "The Abyss of Time had supposedly been a side effect of when Tartarus had been created. It should have vanished together with Tartarus."

"But?", Naoto asked.

"It had felt the strong feelings of several individuals and had started to stretch towards their direction: The members of S.E.E.S.", Mitsuru answered. "And it had created for us what each of us had desired so deeply. The strange being that we had spotted several times inside the Abyss of Time finally revealed itself in front of us: Minato Arisato's Shadow, born from our desire to be able to see him once again."

There was a strangled noise that definitely seemed as though it had been Naoto who had made it, but when everyone had turned around around to her, the young detective just sat there like nothing had ever happened.

Mitsuru stared at the ground for several moments before she continued: "As long as that Shadow existed, the Abyss of Time would keep on existing, trapping us inside the dorm. We had to defeat it."

"Was a pretty tough fight, that's fo' sure! That thing had always changed from one Persona of our group to the other! Just imagine bein' attacked by Mitsuru-senpai's Persona alluva sudden! Scaa~ary!", Junpei started babbling again.

"When we had finally defeated Arisato's Shadow, we had thought that this whole ordeal was over once and for all.", Mitsuru said. "But instead of vanishing, the Abyss of Time left the fragment of a big key to each of us.

We didn't quite know what to do with those fragments, but Metis explained to us that if we were all together at the entrance door those fragments would become a key that would open the door, making the Abyss of Time disappear. Or..."

"Or we could open the door to Minato-san's old room to travel into the past for real this time, to the moment when we had fought against Nyx Avatar.", Ken continued, body tense.

"Why should anyone want to travel back in time to that moment?", Kou said, unbelieving.

"... To save Minato.", Naoto whispered.

"Huh?"

"Minato was still alive at that moment. If one could find a way to defeat Nyx, Minato wouldn't have to die! He would be saved!", Naoto said and threw an accusing glare at Mitsuru. "Minato is dead which means that you are just cowards who had abandoned him and rather opened the entrance door instead!"

"No, that's not true!", Ken tried to interfere, but Mitsuru held up her hand to silence him.

"Your passion for Minato is the same as Yukari Takeba's.", Mitsuru said, staring at Naoto. "She thought just like you and refused to lend us her fragment so that we could open the entrance door. She was prepared to steal our fragments and travel back in time by opening the door to Minato's room."

"That's completely egoistic!", Yukiko said and earned herself a death glare from Naoto. "If something went wrong, everybody on this planet would be killed by Nyx!"

"That is correct.", Mitsuru agreed. "But Yukari wouldn't listen. She wanted to have Minato back. And so a battle started among, separated into different factions: Akihiko and Amada who wanted to open the entrance door and leave the past behind." Akihiko and Ken promptly earned themselves a death glare from Naoto. "Iori and Koromaru who wanted everyone to get along again and talk about it. Yukari Takeba and me wanted to open the door to Minato's room. Aigis and Fuuka were left, torn between all three factions, not knowing what they wanted to do, and Metis who swore to protect her sister from anyone who would dare to take away her key fragment. It was also Metis who led us to a giant arena where we would battle out among us who would obtain the key in the end."

"A battle amongst friend...", Yukiko said miserably.

"Arena... Hmm...", Teddie mumbled and scratched his head.

"Aigis and Metis were the ones to win this battle, and they had an offer to make.", Mitsuru continued, wanting to spare them the details of those battles. "What if we could use one of those giant doors to see why Minato had to die? What if we could gain a clue to as to how to save Minato by watching that battle between him and Nyx?"

"Hey, that's a really good idea!", Chie agreed. "That way you could still decide whether to travel back in time or continue to live in the present!"

"But was there still a giant door left?", Naoto asked.

"Yes, but only one: The door that had served us as a connection to Paulownia Mall for so long.", Mitsuru answered. "We entered that door and saw Minato before us, facing that giant, shining egg-like being that was Nyx. All of those attacks he had to take let us really doubt if we could find a way to save him, even Yukari."

"What exactly happened?", Naoto asked impatiently.

"Minato Arisato became a giant golden gate.", Mitsuru answered.

"... Huh?" Naoto stared at her dumbfoundedly.

"The same golden gate that Fuuka's Shadow had imitated.", Akihiko explained. "It is a gate in which Nyx was sealed inside, Minato's soul acting like a lock that keeps the gate closed."

"Minato's soul... So then...", Naoto stammered.

"One could say that Minato is still alive, yes.", Mitsuru said. "His sould had been dragged out of its body, still being active inside that gate."

"A gate that seals Nyx... Minato is there...", Naoto mumbled, gaze to the ground.

"We found a huge monster there as well that was trying to break the gate's seal.", Mitsuru continued. Naoto stared at her in shock at once. "That being was born from humanity's wishes and feelings, all of them desiring death."

"They what? Who would be so idiotic to wish for that?", Rise said, unbelieving.

"If one's life loses all of its meaning, the thought of death can be somewhat comforting.", Mitsuru explained. "Many people feel like that."

"Like me, when Saki-senpai had been killed.", Yosuke remembered. "I... The first few weeks, I had really wanted to die..."

"This creature called Erebus had been born from those feelings and was now trying to break the seal that kept Nyx away.", Mitsuru said. "Nyx, stimulated through those feelings as well, tried to break free from the seal as well at the same time."

"Stimulated?", Patty repeatead questioningly.

"Nyx is a being that is neither good, nor bad.", Mitsuru explained. "It lies hidden until humanity wishes to meet their death. Only then does it descend down upon us all to grant us our final wish."

"... Just like Izanami had tried to grant us our wish.", Souji said.

"Precisely.", Mitsuru replied and nodded. "We had to defeat Erebus, which we fortunately accomplished after much struggling.

And here we are now, sitting right in front of you after choosing to open the entrance door years ago, wanting to know what you think about our story."

"Well...", Yosuke started. "Um..."

"What exactly do you wish to know?", Naoto asked.

"The Abyss of Time is something that gave us all - especially me - countless headaches, especially now that you've told us about a world that supposedly reacts to humanity's feelings and where Shadows originate from.", Mitsuru explained. "So how can it be that Shadows had already appeared in our world years ago when their home is the TV world? Why do the Abyss of and TV world sound so similar regarding the way they world? Do you realize what I am getting at?"

"N... Not really.", Yukiko said and shook her head.

"... So you mean the Abyss of Time is a part of the TV world that had been ripped out of it and dragged forcefully to our world years ago.", Souji suddenly said.

"Exactly so.", Mitsuru said, nodding. "I assume the Abyss of Time had been used as some kind of hunting ground by my grandfather's researchers once they had managed to drag it to our world so that they could create that huge Shadow. Of course, there had to be someone to open the gate to the TV world back then so that they could rip it out of that world. I suspect one of the researchers behind it. Can you guess which researcher I'm thinking about?"

"... Yosufu Bagman who was, according to the call you had received earlier, a researcher of your grandfather.", Naoto said.

"That is correct."

~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Last chapter that deals with retelling the events of P3. Also, I don't see any reviews that have questions that need answering. If I have accidentally overlooked one, then I'm truly sorry!**

**As always, thank you very much for reviewing, everyone!**


	70. Ch 70: Changes of Yosufu Bagman: Hate

_**Chapter 70: Changes of Yosufu Bagman - Hiro Hate Version**_

**IMPORTANT: From here on out the story separates into two versions a bit! Whoever hates Hiro and thinks he's evil, please read this version of chapter 70! Whoever likes Hiro and thinks he's good, please read the other version of chapter 70! The changes between the two versions are minimal, btw. Also, once you've decided on one version you have to stick with liking/hating Hiro. ;) NOW DO IT!**

Eri Minami lived together with her stepson and her husband - who was currently away again due to his job - in a rather luxurious house, right next to the Hanamuras where it had been rather quiet for the last few months.

That was why Mrs. Minami was really shocked when she awoke due to a very loud noise this night. Slightly drowsy, she groped where normally her husband was sleeping in the bed before remembering that he was not there at the moment. She looked around, confused.

The noise had come from Yuuta's room...

"... Yuuta?", Mrs. Minami asked through the silence.

No answer.

Slowly Mrs. Minami got out of the bed, entered the hallway and sneaked through it, fearing that a burglar had entered their house. Slowly, very slowly she opened the door to Yuuta's room, but all of her movements stopped when she didn't see Yuuta in his room, the window standing wide open.

"Yuuta?", she asked again, this time more urgent. The boy was nowhere to be seen. "Yuuta?"

Eri Minami waited a few seconds before she stormed out of the room, grabbed her jacked and stormed outside the house. "YUUTA!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk...", a voice could be heard from the floor in Yuuta's room before Mr. Bagman shot out of it, holding a naked Yuuta in his arms, the boy's glassy eyes staring at anything and at the same time nothing. "Poor woman! She will be sure to cry for days when she finally finds you, my dear!" Gently he lay down the boy's corpse that was getting colder and colder by the minute back on the bed before he vanished into the ground for good.

~.~.~.~.~.~

"... So you mean the Abyss of Time is a part of the TV world that had been ripped out of it and dragged forcefully to our world years ago.", Souji suddenly said.

"Exactly so.", Mitsuru said, nodding. "I assume the Abyss of Time had been used as some kind of hunting ground by my grandfather's researchers once they had managed to drag it to our world so that they could create that huge Shadow. Of course, there had to be someone to open the gate to the TV world back then so that they could rip it out of that world. I suspect one of the researchers behind it. Can you guess which researcher I'm thinking about?"

"... Yosufu Bagman who was, according to the call you had received earlier, a researcher of your grandfather.", Naoto said.

"That is correct."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute! You said that the TV world only reacts to someone who can control the Mind Energy!", Yosuke butted in. "But only someone who was faced his Shadow in the TV world can use that energy! Shadows only exist in the TV world! So how should've Bagman been able to rip out that part of the TV world if there's absolutely no way for him to master the Mind Energy in the first place?"

"_That_is exactly the point.", Mitsuru agreed.

"... Huh?" Yosuke looked at her in confusion.

"It doesn't matter whether the one who ripped the Abyss of Time out of the TV world was Yosufu Bagman or anyone else.", Naoto tried to explain. "What matters is that the person who did it was able to master the Mind Energy without ever facing their Shadow which he could only have been able to encounter in the TV world. And yet still, the team around Kirijo-san's grandfather managed to rip out that part of the TV world and connect it to our world so that they could go and hunt the Shadows there._ `How exactly did they do it?´_ That is the question."

"Exactly. This fact is what is giving me and the other members of S.E.E.S. quite a bit of a headache. I am almost certain that the Abyss of Time had originally been part of the TV world.", Mitsuru agreed.

"`Almost´, but not completely.", Patty said. "So we can't be completely sure it really _is_ a part of it."

"No, I think it really is.", Kou said, the others now staring at him. "Guys, do you remember the place we had visited first when we were trying to rescue Patty?"

"Huh?" Chie stared at him for a while, dumbfounded, before she remembered. "Oh, you mean that creepy arena!"

"Arena?", Akihiko repeated, shocked. "So that means-"

"This must be the arena where you all had fought for the key fragments.", Naoto said. "Which means that this arena... leads to the Abyss of Time."

"You've really been in that arena?", Junpei asked, surprised. "Hah, so that makes it 100 % sure that this horror chamber's part o' the TV world! Case closed!"

"So wha'? Is that stuff about the three energies bogus now?", Kanji asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't really know...", Mitsuru sighed.

"There is a possibility.", Naoto said. "If Bagman-sensei is able to control the Life Energy, he would be able to do it."

"You mean that Bagman guy's a Wild Card, just like Partner?", Yosuke said, about to vomit when thinking that Mr. Bagman and Souji could have anything in common.

"Bagman and a Wild Card... Helping Mitsuru-san's grandfather...", Fuuka mumbled.

"Yamagishi?", Mitsuru said, a questioning look adorning her face.

"Um... Ken-kun, could you please go to my office and bring me my folder?", Fuuka asked Ken.

"Uh, sure." Ken took the key to Fuuka's office which Akihiko had carried around while Fuuka had been in that comatose state, and left the lounge, returning about five minutes later with said folder.

"Thank you, Ken-kun.", the Informatics Professor thanked the young man and began searching through the folder. "Uh... Hmm... Where is it...? ... Ah, here!" She took out a rather big photo that showed her and the rest of Tanaba University's professors. "This photo had been taken shortly before the previous semester had ended." She pointed at the professor neyt to her who was Mr. Bagman. "Do you notice something different about the Mr. Bagman in this photo?"

"Hmm... Looks just as old and wrinkled as always.", Kanji opined, shrugging.

"No, she is talking about the rather gentle look in his eyes, Tatsumi.", Naoto corrected him and sighed.

"Right.", Fuuka said. "When I first met Yosufu Bagman at this university, I thought of him as a rather gruff, rather antisocial human being. He was always rather secretive and never really talked to anyone of the professor's. He was always very strict to his students. But malignity and the urge to bully anything and everything around him were never one of his characteristics."

"Doesn't quite sound like the Bagman we know.", Yosuke said. "That guy loves to torture his students.

"Yes.", Fuuka sighed and stared at the photo that showed Mr. Bagman who was smiling honestly, not such a fake and sweet smile that one would always see on the current Mr. Bagman's lips. "For me, Mr. Bagman was like a Senpai.", she finally continued. "It was him who had showed me around the university. It was him who had watched over me during those first months, although from a rather safe distance, as if he had been scared to get too close to me. His aura had always been one of indifference, surrounded by a certain amount of sorrow. But... when the new semester started, all of that changed. Indifference changed to his urge to torture. Sorrow changed to hatred and disgust. His usually gentle and sad smile changed to that absolutely fake chuckle. It was as if the old Yosufu Bagman had completely vanished." She looked at the ground in sadness.

"... When I had been in his office once, his eyes had changed to a yellow colour.", Souji remembered. "Could be... that this is a Shadow?"

"A Shadow...?", Fuuka repeated, startled. "No, Seta-kun, that's impossible. He feels human, not like a Shadow."

"A you sure?", Souji asked again.

"Yes, I am certain."

"He smells like a human, too.", Teddie added. "That Ipos girl too, by the way."

"Ikas.", Yosuke corrected him, crunching his teeth.

"Anyway, what I was trying to tell you with my explanation about Bagman-san is that the Bagman-san I had known since the end of the last semester would never have helped Mitsuru-san's grandfather.", Fuuka hurriedly continued.

"I also have my doubts about that.", Mitsuru said. "My grandfather had made a huge document listing all of his researchers, some of the data hidden quite skillfully in his main computer - Ikutsuki's data being one of the hidden ones -, but there is only one researcher in the list about whose whereabouts we have no idea about at the moment. I can't imagine my grandfather not noticing this Bagman person, especially not when he was the with the important task of ripping the Abyss of Time out of the TV world."

"The researcher whose whereabouts you currently don't know about... Could it be that Bagman-sensei had changed his name during all those years?", Naoto asked.

"No.", Mitsuru answered immediately. "I've never met that researcher in person, but I can tell you without a doubt that this Mr. Bagman could _never_have been that researcher." She threw a short glance at Akihiko who stared back at her in confusion. "I think the person calling me hours ago had been lying to me about that. In fact, I think both of the information he gave me are false."

"Wh-what?", Akihiko said, dumbfounded.

"The culprit who had been throwing people into the TV world so that their corpses would appear days later - hung up on antenna poles and other things - had been caught years ago and is even helping us now.", Mitsuru said. "The current culprit is kidnapping the victims' souls while the body remains. So why should Yukari's body have been found in the same manner the body's of the old culprit had been found? Shouldn't her soul have rather been thrown into the TV world instead?"

"But the police-", Ken and Junpei said in unison.

"I am aware about that detail.", Mitsuru interrupted them, a glimmer in her eyes. "But even the police is not immune to bribery. No, I am quite sure that the caller had been trying to lead us into a trap! Yukari Takeba is alive!" She threw a glance at Yosuke and had to suppress a loud sigh, annoyed about herself.

~.~.~.~.~

Flashback:

"Please.. don't tell anyone that it was me who's given you that information!", the caller - a certain Mr. Soichiro Hanamura - pleaded with Mitsuru, his voice quite shaky.

"Bu-"

"I'm already in huge trouble for calling you, anyway! If they find out what I did, I'm dead! Please!", Hanamura pleaded.

Mitsuru thought about it for a moment before she finally sighed and said: "I promise you. I won't tell anyone who it was that gave me this information."

"D-do you really promise?"

"You have my word as the president of the Kirijo Group!", Mitsuru replied.

~.~.~.~.~

Here was her chance to ascertain her doubts by asking someone with the same family name - probably even his son! -, and she couldn't use it! She bit her lower lip in frustration.

"But to get back to the person who had been able to rip out the Abyss of Time: Hiro Sideu here should be quite capable of telling us how that might work, shouldn't he?", Naoto said and threw an analyzing glance at Hiro who stared back at her in confusion. "You have been in the TV world just now without ever having to face your Shadow. How did you do it?"

"Wha... What...?", Hiro started, stammering.

"It's no use trying to stall, Sideu-kun. I want an answer, now!", Naoto demanded.

"Naoto...!", Patty started angrily, but Naoto simply ignored her.

"I... don't know...", Hiro replied very slowly. Naoto looked at him rather cynical.

"I'd caught you once trying to break into Yamagishi-sensei's office. You _are _rather suspicious, whether you want it or not, Hiro.", Souji added. "Tell us the truth or we'll have no choice but to conside you a main suspect together with Ikas!"

"Souji-kun...!", Patty protested anew, but everyone just ignored her.

"He was trying to break into Yamagishi-sensei's office?", Naoto repeated. "You never told us about that!"

"Sorry! But he was babbling all that nonsense at that time so that I had completely forgotten about it until now.", Souji apologized. "Now that I think about it, he probably said all that stuff so that I would forget!"

"Aha! Didn't I just say that the goofballs are always the bad guys!", Teddie said triumphantly and leaned over Hiro. "Now tell us why you pushed all those souls in, and so that I can understand it, too! The nose knows!"

Hiro sneezed at the blond Shadow's face so that he fell backwards with a screech, before searched around in his trouser pocket and took out a rather small package. "This is...", he said hesitantly and knelt right in front of Fuuka. "... for you, Sensei."

"O-oh..." Fuuka, now completely red in her face, accepted the package. There was some expensive perfume in it.

"What the...?", Souji said, puzzled.

"I told you, Souji-kun. Her voice is so angelic and she is so beautiful.", Hiro reminded him, face lowered.

"And what about your fiancé?", Naoto asked.

Patty's whole body went rigid at once.

"... Arranged by my parents.", Hiro answered, sullen. "I won't betray her, but that doesn't mean I can't give presents to beautiful women! I had tried to break into her office and place it in there without her knowing it was from me."

Fuuka's face went more and more red and she looked like she wished the ground would swallow her up already.

"And you're carrying that present around with you night and day, of course!", Souji said, not believing him.

"... I wanted to give it to her in secret.", Hiro answered after a short moment of silence. "I had found out that she was resting Nao-chan's lounge so I had set out this night to give it to her." His gaze wandered towards the TV. "I had just managed to enter the lounge without anyone noticing me when you all entered, and I had quickly hidden in one of the closets. When I saw you all entering the TV world, I had quickly grabbed onto the dumb bear here and traveled with you."

"Ugh! If he was clinging onto Teddie, then it's no wonder that dumb thing didn't notice anything!", Rise sighed.

"Hey!", Teddie protested, pouting.

"How do you know about the TV world?", Naoto continued to ask.

"It's not hard to eavesdrop on your conversation, guys.", Hiro said, shrugging, wile sitting down again.

"Then you're definitely better at spyin' than me!", Junpei said. The Investigation Team stared at him. "Oh, uh, well, actually, my main task as a janitor right now is to gather as much information about the culprit as possible! That's the real reason Mitsuru-senpai had given me that job!"

"So that's why I'm always seeing you talking to the students instead of doing your job!", Yukiko realized.

"Jap! But I only managed to get some meaningless stuff. Just one somewhat interesting thing, but that was complete BS, too.", Junpei said.

"What kind of information?", Naoto asked.

"Aww, some kinda nuts student was talking about how she was feelin' some bad vibes coming from the PC.", Junpei said, shrugging. "Ken-kun 'n me had already taken a look at it while waiting for ya. There's nothing there, just debris 'n dust!"

"So do you believe me?", Hiro asked.

Souji stared at him for a moment before he slowly nodded. "For now.", he said.

"But what were those powers you had been using in the TV world?", Kou asked him.

"I don't know.", Hiro said, looking sad. "I've always had those powers. Never asked for them."

Mitsuru sighed. "I think that's enough for today. We won't get anywhere like this for now.", she said. "I will continue investigating my grandfather's data about Bagman-sensei and how the Abyss of Time had been forced into our world. Yamagishi may be able to find out more once she's gotten better." She took a look at Fuuka who was still rather pale. "I suggest we'll meet again soon at another place where it's not that easy to eavesdrop. Sideu-san here had just proven how easy it is to spy on over people here."

Slowly, one after another left Naoto's lounge.

"Seta-san.", Mitsuru whispered to Souji while they were walking through the corridors as a rather large group. "Whatever may have happened in the Velvet Room that is causing your abilities as a Wild Card to weaken, I hope it will soon be resolved."

Souji stared at her with huge eyes, the question he wanted to ask her evident in his eyes. He quickly stared at his friends in fear.

"Every member of S.E.E.S. knows about the Velvet Room.", Mitsuru continued to whisper. "This was the last place we had entered after defeating Erebus. I had left that detail out of our tale so that it wouldn't unsettle your friends."

Souji offered her a thankful smile while they all started to walk into separate directions. "Mitsuru-san...", he started.

"Hmm?", Mitsuru asked, and she also started to smile when she read from his lips what he was trying to tell her without whispering a word since Yosuke and Teddie were now walking alongside him. "I understand."

"Man, you sure seem to be happy!", Junpei noted when he saw her smile. "Looks like you might be pretty happy tonight, too, Akihiko-senpai!"

"Junpei!", Akihiko snarled.

"Aigis is alright.", Mitsuru suddenly said, ignoring those two.

"... Huh? How...?", Akihiko stammered while the other members of S.E.E.S. just stared at her in confusion.

"Souji-san just told me.", Mitsuru explained, relief evident in her voice. "He also tells you to please call him `Souji´ from now on." Her smile widened even more. "Both of them are alright! Yukari and Aigis are alright!"


	71. Ch 70: Changes of Yosufu Bagman: Like

_**Chapter 70: Changes of Yosufu Bagman - Hiro Like Version**_

IMPORTANT: From here on out the story separates into two versions a bit! Whoever likes Hiro and thinks he's good, please read this version of chapter 70! Whoever hates Hiro and thinks he's evil, please read the other version of chapter 70! The changes between the two versions are minimal, btw. Also, once you've decided on one version you have to stick with liking/hating Hiro. ;) NOW DO IT!

Eri Minami lived together with her stepson and her husband - who was currently away again due to his job - in a rather luxurious house, right next to the Hanamuras where it had been rather quiet for the last few months.

That was why Mrs. Minami was really shocked when she awoke due to a very loud noise this night. Slightly drowsy, she groped where normally her husband was sleeping in the bed before remembering that he was not there at the moment. She looked around, confused.

The noise had come from Yuuta's room...

"... Yuuta?", Mrs. Minami asked through the silence.

No answer.

Slowly Mrs. Minami got out of the bed, entered the hallway and sneaked through it, fearing that a burglar had entered their house. Slowly, very slowly she opened the door to Yuuta's room, but all of her movements stopped when she didn't see Yuuta in his room, the window standing wide open.

"Yuuta?", she asked again, this time more urgent. The boy was nowhere to be seen. "Yuuta?"

Eri Minami waited a few seconds before she stormed out of the room, grabbed her jacked and stormed outside the house. "YUUTA!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk...", a voice could be heard from the floor in Yuuta's room before Mr. Bagman shot out of it, holding a naked Yuuta in his arms, the boy's glassy eyes staring at anything and at the same time nothing. "Poor woman! She will be sure to cry for days when she finally finds you, my dear!" Gently he lay down the boy's corpse that was getting colder and colder by the minute back on the bed before he vanished into the ground for good.

~.~.~.~.~.~

"... So you mean the Abyss of Time is a part of the TV world that had been ripped out of it and dragged forcefully to our world years ago.", Souji suddenly said.

"Exactly so.", Mitsuru said, nodding. "I assume the Abyss of Time had been used as some kind of hunting ground by my grandfather's researchers once they had managed to drag it to our world so that they could create that huge Shadow. Of course, there had to be someone to open the gate to the TV world back then so that they could rip it out of that world. I suspect one of the researchers behind it. Can you guess which researcher I'm thinking about?"

"... Yosufu Bagman who was, according to the call you had received earlier, a researcher of your grandfather.", Naoto said.

"That is correct."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute! You said that the TV world only reacts to someone who can control the Mind Energy!", Yosuke butted in. "But only someone who was faced his Shadow in the TV world can use that energy! Shadows only exist in the TV world! So how should've Bagman been able to rip out that part of the TV world if there's absolutely no way for him to master the Mind Energy in the first place?"

"_That _is exactly the point.", Mitsuru agreed.

"... Huh?" Yosuke looked at her in confusion.

"It doesn't matter whether the one who ripped the Abyss of Time out of the TV world was Yosufu Bagman or anyone else.", Naoto tried to explain. "What matters is that the person who did it was able to master the Mind Energy without ever facing their Shadow which he could only have been able to encounter in the TV world. And yet still, the team around Kirijo-san's grandfather managed to rip out that part of the TV world and connect it to our world so that they could go and hunt the Shadows there._ `How exactly did they do it?´_ That is the question."

"Exactly. This fact is what is giving me and the other members of S.E.E.S. quite a bit of a headache. I am almost certain that the Abyss of Time had originally been part of the TV world.", Mitsuru agreed.

"`Almost´, but not completely.", Patty said. "So we can't be completely sure it really _is_ a part of it."

"No, I think it really is.", Kou said, the others now staring at him. "Guys, do you remember the place we had visited first when we were trying to rescue Patty?"

"Huh?" Chie stared at him for a while, dumbfounded, before she remembered. "Oh, you mean that creepy arena!"

"Arena?", Akihiko repeated, shocked. "So that means-"

"This must be the arena where you all had fought for the key fragments.", Naoto said. "Which means that this arena... leads to the Abyss of Time."

"You've really been in that arena?", Junpei asked, surprised. "Hah, so that makes it 100 % sure that this horror chamber's part o' the TV world! Case closed!"

"So wha'? Is that stuff about the three energies bogus now?", Kanji asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't really know...", Mitsuru sighed.

"There is a possibility.", Naoto said. "If Bagman-sensei is able to control the Life Energy, he would be able to do it."

"You mean that Bagman guy's a Wild Card, just like Partner?", Yosuke said, about to vomit when thinking that Mr. Bagman and Souji could have anything in common.

"Bagman and a Wild Card... Helping Mitsuru-san's grandfather...", Fuuka mumbled.

"Yamagishi?", Mitsuru said, a questioning look adorning her face.

"Um... Ken-kun, could you please go to my office and bring me my folder?", Fuuka asked Ken.

"Uh, sure." Ken took the key to Fuuka's office which Akihiko had carried around while Fuuka had been in that comatose state, and left the lounge, returning about five minutes later with said folder.

"Thank you, Ken-kun.", the Informatics Professor thanked the young man and began searching through the folder. "Uh... Hmm... Where is it...? ... Ah, here!" She took out a rather big photo that showed her and the rest of Tanaba University's professors. "This photo had been taken shortly before the previous semester had ended." She pointed at the professor neyt to her who was Mr. Bagman. "Do you notice something different about the Mr. Bagman in this photo?"

"Hmm... Looks just as old and wrinkled as always.", Kanji opined, shrugging.

"No, she is talking about the rather gentle look in his eyes, Tatsumi.", Naoto corrected him and sighed.

"Right.", Fuuka said. "When I first met Yosufu Bagman at this university, I thought of him as a rather gruff, rather antisocial human being. He was always rather secretive and never really talked to anyone of the professor's. He was always very strict to his students. But malignity and the urge to bully anything and everything around him were never one of his characteristics."

"Doesn't quite sound like the Bagman we know.", Yosuke said. "That guy loves to torture his students.

"Yes.", Fuuka sighed and stared at the photo that showed Mr. Bagman who was smiling honestly, not such a fake and sweet smile that one would always see on the current Mr. Bagman's lips. "For me, Mr. Bagman was like a Senpai.", she finally continued. "It was him who had showed me around the university. It was him who had watched over me during those first months, although from a rather safe distance, as if he had been scared to get too close to me. His aura had always been one of indifference, surrounded by a certain amount of sorrow. But... when the new semester started, all of that changed. Indifference changed to his urge to torture. Sorrow changed to hatred and disgust. His usually gentle and sad smile changed to that absolutely fake chuckle. It was as if the old Yosufu Bagman had completely vanished." She looked at the ground in sadness.

"... When I had been in his office once, his eyes had changed to a yellow colour.", Souji remembered. "Could be... that this is a Shadow?"

"A Shadow...?", Fuuka repeated, startled. "No, Seta-kun, that's impossible. He feels human, not like a Shadow."

"A you sure?", Souji asked again.

"Yes, I am certain."

"He smells like a human, too.", Teddie added. "That Ipos girl too, by the way."

"Ikas.", Yosuke corrected him, crunching his teeth.

"Anyway, what I was trying to tell you with my explanation about Bagman-san is that the Bagman-san I had known since the end of the last semester would never have helped Mitsuru-san's grandfather.", Fuuka hurriedly continued.

"I also have my doubts about that.", Mitsuru said. "My grandfather had made a huge document listing all of his researchers, some of the data hidden quite skillfully in his main computer - Ikutsuki's data being one of the hidden ones -, but there is only one researcher in the list about whose whereabouts we have no idea about at the moment. I can't imagine my grandfather not noticing this Bagman person, especially not when he was the with the important task of ripping the Abyss of Time out of the TV world."

"The researcher whose whereabouts you currently don't know about... Could it be that Bagman-sensei had changed his name during all those years?", Naoto asked.

"No.", Mitsuru answered immediately. "I've never met that researcher in person, but I can tell you without a doubt that this Mr. Bagman could _never _have been that researcher." She threw a short glance at Akihiko who stared back at her in confusion. "I think the person calling me hours ago had been lying to me about that. In fact, I think both of the information he gave me are false."

"Wh-what?", Akihiko said, dumbfounded.

"The culprit who had been throwing people into the TV world so that their corpses would appear days later - hung up on antenna poles and other things - had been caught years ago and is even helping us now.", Mitsuru said. "The current culprit is kidnapping the victims' souls while the body remains. So why should Yukari's body have been found in the same manner the body's of the old culprit had been found? Shouldn't her soul have rather been thrown into the TV world instead?"

"But the police-", Ken and Junpei said in unison.

"I am aware about that detail.", Mitsuru interrupted them, a glimmer in her eyes. "But even the police is not immune to bribery. No, I am quite sure that the caller had been trying to lead us into a trap! Yukari Takeba is alive!" She threw a glance at Yosuke and had to suppress a loud sigh, annoyed about herself.

~.~.~.~.~

Flashback:

"Please.. don't tell anyone that it was me who's given you that information!", the caller - a certain Mr. Soichiro Hanamura - pleaded with Mitsuru, his voice quite shaky.

"Bu-"

"I'm already in huge trouble for calling you, anyway! If they find out what I did, I'm dead! Please!", Hanamura pleaded.

Mitsuru thought about it for a moment before she finally sighed and said: "I promise you. I won't tell anyone who it was that gave me this information."

"D-do you really promise?"

"You have my word as the president of the Kirijo Group!", Mitsuru replied.

~.~.~.~.~

Here was her chance to ascertain her doubts by asking someone with the same family name - probably even his son! -, and she couldn't use it! She bit her lower lip in frustration.

"But to get back to the person who had been able to rip out the Abyss of Time: Hiro Sideu here should be quite capable of telling us how that might work, shouldn't he?", Naoto said and threw an analyzing glance at Hiro who stared back at her in confusion. "You have been in the TV world just now without ever having to face your Shadow. How did you do it?"

"Wha... What...?", Hiro started, stammering.

"It's no use trying to stall, Sideu-kun. I want an answer, now!", Naoto demanded.

"Naoto...!", Patty started angrily, but Naoto simply ignored her.

"I... don't know...", Hiro replied very slowly. Naoto looked at him rather cynical.

"Naoto, just stop it.", Souji interfered.

"Wha-?" Naoto looked at him angrily.

"I don't want to suspect another friend.", Souji interrupted her and stared at Yosuke. "Hiro's helped us tonight. If he wasn't on our side, he would have let us die tonight. Yamagishi-sensei's Shadow would have wiped us out completely if it hadn't been for him, after all!"

"But...!"

Hiro sighed and searched around in his trouser pocket and took out a rather small package. "This is...", he said hesitantly and knelt right in front of Fuuka. "... for you, Sensei."

"O-oh..." Fuuka, now completely red in her face, accepted the package. There was some expensive perfume in it.

"What the...?", Souji said, puzzled.

"I told you, Souji-kun. Her voice is so angelic and she is so beautiful.", Hiro reminded him, face lowered.

"And what about your fiancé?", Naoto asked.

Patty's whole body went rigid at once.

"... Arranged by my parents.", Hiro answered, sullen. "I won't betray her, but that doesn't mean I can't give presents to beautiful women! I had tried to break into her office and place it in there without her knowing it was from me."

Fuuka's face went more and more red and she looked like she wished the ground would swallow her up already.

"And you're carrying that present around with you night and day, of course!", Naoto said, not believing him.

"... I wanted to give it to her in secret.", Hiro answered after a short moment of silence. "I had found out that she was resting Nao-chan's lounge so I had set out this night to give it to her." His gaze wandered towards the TV. "I had just managed to enter the lounge without anyone noticing me when you all entered, and I had quickly hidden in one of the closets. When I saw you all entering the TV world, I had quickly grabbed onto the dumb bear here and traveled with you."

"Ugh! If he was clinging onto Teddie, then it's no wonder that dumb thing didn't notice anything!", Rise sighed.

"Hey!", Teddie protested, pouting.

"How do you know about the TV world?", Naoto continued to ask.

"It's not hard to eavesdrop on your conversation, guys.", Hiro said, shrugging, wile sitting down again.

"Then you're definitely better at spyin' than me!", Junpei said. The Investigation Team stared at him. "Oh, uh, well, actually, my main task as a janitor right now is to gather as much information about the culprit as possible! That's the real reason Mitsuru-senpai had given me that job!"

"So that's why I'm always seeing you talking to the students instead of doing your job!", Yukiko realized.

"Jap! But I only managed to get some meaningless stuff. Just one somewhat interesting thing, but that was complete BS, too.", Junpei said.

"What kind of information?", Naoto asked.

"Aww, some kinda nuts student was talking about how she was feelin' some bad vibes coming from the PC.", Junpei said, shrugging. "Ken-kun 'n me had already taken a look at it while waiting for ya. There's nothing there, just debris 'n dust!"

"So do you believe me?", Hiro asked.

Naoto stared at him for a moment before she slowly nodded. "For now.", s#he said.

"But what were those powers you had been using in the TV world?", Kou asked him.

"I don't know.", Hiro said, looking sad. "I've always had those powers. Never asked for them."

Mitsuru sighed. "I think that's enough for today. We won't get anywhere like this for now.", she said. "I will continue investigating my grandfather's data about Bagman-sensei and how the Abyss of Time had been forced into our world. Yamagishi may be able to find out more once she's gotten better." She took a look at Fuuka who was still rather pale. "I suggest we'll meet again soon at another place where it's not that easy to eavesdrop. Sideu-san here had just proven how easy it is to spy on over people here."

Slowly, one after another left Naoto's lounge.

"Seta-san.", Mitsuru whispered to Souji while they were walking through the corridors as a rather large group. "Whatever may have happened in the Velvet Room that is causing your abilities as a Wild Card to weaken, I hope it will soon be resolved."

Souji stared at her with huge eyes, the question he wanted to ask her evident in his eyes. He quickly stared at his friends in fear.

"Every member of S.E.E.S. knows about the Velvet Room.", Mitsuru continued to whisper. "This was the last place we had entered after defeating Erebus. I had left that detail out of our tale so that it wouldn't unsettle your friends."

Souji offered her a thankful smile while they all started to walk into separate directions. "Mitsuru-san...", he started.

"Hmm?", Mitsuru asked, and she also started to smile when she read from his lips what he was trying to tell her without whispering a word since Yosuke and Teddie were now walking alongside him. "I understand."

"Man, you sure seem to be happy!", Junpei noted when he saw her smile. "Looks like you might be pretty happy tonight, too, Akihiko-senpai!"

"Junpei!", Akihiko snarled.

"Aigis is alright.", Mitsuru suddenly said, ignoring those two.

"... Huh? How...?", Akihiko stammered while the other members of S.E.E.S. just stared at her in confusion.

"Souji-san just told me.", Mitsuru explained, relief evident in her voice. "He also tells you to please call him `Souji´ from now on." Her smile widened even more. "Both of them are alright! Yukari and Aigis are alright!"


	72. Chapter 71: Next course of action

_**Chapter 71: Next course of action**_

Loud and obnoxious ringing slowly let him return to the world of the living- that and the fast that a certain someone - that certain someone being Yosuke of course - was shouting "Shut the fuck up!" and swinging his fist after the alarm clock in question. He finally hit the offending object which was promptly thrown through the room - merely missing Souji's by a few inches -, crashed against the wall and landed on Souji's bed where it happily continued ringing.

"Fuckin' piece o' crap...", he could hear Yosuke grumble before said man groaned when the alarm clock started ringing even louder and hid his face beneath the blanket.

Slowly, Souji sat up, still feeling yesterday's events in his bones, and stared at the lump that was Yosuke on the other bed in amusement. Teddie who had - for whatever reason - decided to sleep in his bear costume didn't get to hear much of the loud noise through said costume and so continued to sleep quite happily.

Having turned off the alarm clock, Souji staggered over to Yosuke with a huge yawn and kicked the other man gently to ensure that he really woke up, before he went into the bathroom to splash some ice-cold water into his face. The cold somewhat served its purpose, and now feeling a little bit more awake, Souji returned to the bedroom just to find Yosuke snuggling against Teddie on the ground, snoring quite happily. He apparently had woken up after Souji's unconventional wake-up call, but had followed Morpheus' call only seconds later, falling down against the fuzzy fur of Teddie's costume.

_`He must really be tired if he can ignore the `Gay Factor´ of that position...´_, Souji thought and suppressed another yawn. _`Oh yeah... This is going to be a reeeaaally fun day...´_ He couldn't surpress the next rather loud yawn. _`Wonder if you can really sleep on books with your head...?´_

~.~.~.~.~

When Souji, Yosuke and Teddie entered the Cafeteria a little bit later, the other faces that greeted them at their usual table looked pretty sleepy as well. Only two of them seemed to be as bright as a button: Naoto who was studying the morning paper and taking a sip of coffee from time to time, and Hiro who was happily chatting about anything and nothing at all; Souji assumed the brown-haired one had ADHD or some other kind of disorder, the way he was bouncing up and down on his chair like a bouncy ball while talking and talking. Even Rise who was also able to speak quite a few words in one second seemed to be annoyed as hell and looked to the side in order to blend out the other man.

"Seeeeeeeeenpaaaaaaaaiiiiii!", she squealed happily when she saw the silver-haired man, jumped up and led Souji to a place right next to her at the table.

"Good morning!", the three newcomers greeted the others who returned the greeting.

"Good morning, Hanamura-senpai and Teddie!", Naoto greeted them without looking up from the newspaper and took another sip.

_`Ouch...´_, Souji thought and tried to ignore the curious looks his friends were throwing at him.

~.~.~.~.~

There was a deafening crash when the giant being Mrs. Hanamura, Elizabeth and the cloaked person had met crushed a musty hideout with one strike, not too far away from the Ominous Room. All of its arms stretched towards the ruins at once in order to search beneath the debris for the subject it had arrived here. Somewhere around here the track had ended... Somewhere around here its servants had found it... One of the arms touched something warm. It immediately grabbed the thing before it could run away and pulled it out of the ruins while another arm took one of the destroyed planks, pinning the thing the first hand was holding down with it. It took only a few seconds for the giant to shrink down and reach their original size before they wandered over to the now shivering being that it had captured.

"Hello, Mayumi!", the person that had been so huge just a few seconds ago said towards the being on the ground and smiled a fake and friendly smile. "I finally found! Now, I just have to set up the next step of the plan, and then I can already throw the next person's soul into the TV world!"

~.~.~.~.~

Having reached the end of the newspapers, Naoto thoroughly folded them together and lay them aside before clearing her throat loudly so that the others gave her their undivided attention.

"Now that we have saved Yamagishi-sensei and have gotten enough sleep,-" (Rise threw a disbelieving look at her, the dark circle around her eyes emphasizing the whole thing even more) "- I think it's time that we start addressing the next problem.", she started.

"Oh, but...", Chie said and looked around the cafeteria hectically. "... shouldn't... shouldn't we do that somewhere else? Hiro'd also eavesdropped on us back then!"

Hiro nodded, grinning and looking quite proud, swallowing one whole toasted slice of bread at once. To his right Yukiko stared at him disbelieving, but also quite fascinated, as if Hiro had just performed a magic trick to make the toast disappear.

"We're more or less known as the `Psycho Club of Tanaba University´.", Rise said shrugging and sighed. "Hiro's the only one stupid enough to eavesdrop."

"Yap!", Hiro said cheerfully and performed the magic trick - `Making-a-whole-toasted-slice-of-bread-disappear-at-once - for a thrilled looking Yukiko once again.

"As Kujikawa-"

"Rise!", Rise interrupted Naoto.

"- already said, our reputation among the rest of the students is already quite low so I don't think any of them will really bother to listen to our conversation.", Naoto continued as if Rise had never interrupted her.

"So what's the next plan? Organizing a Scoring Party?", Teddie asked hopefully, getting whacked by Yosuke at once.

"Ikas Ito.", Naoto simply said. "We have to act fast before she throws another individual's soul into the TV world."

"So it's sure she's the doin' it now?", Kanji asked.

"Well, it looks like it.", Souji replied. "She injured Patty without even lifting a finger and fled into the TV world afterwards."

"Her motives are also pretty clear, at least for two of the three victims.", Naoto added. "Sideu had arisen Ito's anger with her speak about how she knew who the killer is and was thrown into the TV world because of it."

"Oh... I thought she'd been angry because Patty had insulted Kanji like that.", Kou said.

"No. I am quite certain she faked that quite well so that we would be nice to her and welcome her to our group.", Naoto disagreed. "Now, Yamagishi-sensei had sentenced her to several hours of detention. That was enough reason for her to make the Informatics Professor suffer." Her gaze lingered on Kou. "The only thing left is to figure out why she would have thrown Ichijo-senpai into the TV world."

"Well, I didn't do anything to her!", Kou swore.

"And you are certain about it, Ichijo-senpai?", Naoto questioned. Kou nodded. "Try to remember what had happened during those two days - the day you arrived at the university and the day when your soul had been thrown into the other world!"

"Well, not really much, that's for sure.", Kou said and shrugged. "I'd arrived pretty late at the university - Daisuke had spent so much time bawling like a baby because I was leaving that I had missed the train. I'd arrived at night, had a rather nice conversation with our charming Bagman about being on time, and then met Kanji who was in the middle of chatting with you guys in the lounge. I'd gone to bed immediately after..."

"And the next day?", Yosuke asked.

"Well, we'd all been awoken by Patty's loud scream. I'd met you in the hallways on the way to her lounge, remember?", Kou continued. The others nodded. "Souji, Yosuke, Naoto 'n me had all stormed into the lounge where Patty and the dead body were, 'n... hmm... I... think Souji had suddenly become sick and stormed out of the room a few minutes later. I remember all of us worrying about him 'cuz he'd been away for so long, so some of us had gone to search him, including me. Um..." He scratched his head. "Oh yeah! I had found Souji a lil' later in one of the public bathrooms! And... hmm... I'd gone back outside to the hallways and waited for Souji to finally come out. After that we-" But he stopped abruptly. "... Wait a sec! I think Ikas was suddenly lying on the ground when Souji had finally left the bathroom!"

"She was lying on the floor?", Naoto repeated, immediately on alert.

"Yeah. That was sort of my fault.", Souji said. Everybody stared at him at once. "When I had left the bathroom I had accidentally crashed into her so that she had fallen to the ground." Yosuke was looking rather reproachful at him. "It wasn't on purpose, really! I had wanted to apologize to her, but Kou had already grabbed me, and w-"

"Stop!", Naoto interrupted him. "Where did you stand? Where was Ichijo-senpai standing? And where was Ito lying?"

"... Huh? I already told you, and had wanted to kneel down to Ikas and apologize to her, when Kou had stepped between us and dragged me away.", Souji replied, a little bit puzzled.

"I see...", Naoto said, a triumphant smile adorning her face. "So that's how it was..."

"What are you talking about?", Chie asked her.

"When Ito had fallen to the ground due to to Seta-senpai crashing into her, she probably hadn't seen who had been the one to crash into her. But when she had looked up to find out the perpetrator she had seen Ichijo-senpai who had stepped between her and Seta-senpai. That moment she had determined who would be the first victim.", Naoto explained.

"Shit! She thought _I'm_the one who crashed into her?", Kou snarled.

"In other words, her original target should have been Souji-kun since he had been the one to make her fall down.", Yukiko said, discomfort evident in her voice.

"That girl's sick...", Rise said. "So far she's decided her victims to be the ones who are currently annoying her the most!"

"Yes. And that fact is also what led to her downfall.", Naoto said, nodding. "In Ichijo-senpai's case we had no way of knowing who the culprit is since Seta-senpai thought she knew who had shoved her down. In Sideu's case it had become more apparent that she's behind it due to how she had reacted that day. But in Yamagishi's case it had become painfully obvious that she is the culprit. Each time she had become more and more confident, and in the end that had led to her being found out."

"Done and dusted, huh?", Kanji said wisely.

"No, it is not over at all yet, Tatsumi.", Naoto sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh... sorry..."

"But what about the other victims?", Rise asked. "What about Patty's roommate! The student who had been found dead inside the PC! The professor they had found dead on the campus! Why did _they_ have to die?"

"And there's also all of those murdered children and those two star-shaped circles that form if you connect the places where the children had been murdered...", Yukiko mumbled, shivering. "There are still so many unanswered questions."

"All of those questions can be answered hopefully, as soon as we have captured Ito.", Naoto said, body tense.

"So what do we do now?", Yukiko asked. "Adachi-san already told us that she can't sense Ikas in the TV world. And our Personas don't work in the real world, so we have no chance of finding her."

"Yes. Kujikawa's-"

"Rise!"

"- Persona - the one that could sense her - doesn't work in our world indeed.", Naoto agreed. "But Yamagishi-sensei can summon a Persona in this world. And as we were told yesterday, her Persona has the same ability as Kujikawa's."

"So we have to wait until the professor gets better, and then trust her Persona's ability.", Yosuke concluded.

Souji nodded. "Until then we have to keep our eyes open for Ikas. And Rise should return to the TV world from time to time and search for her. You never know..."

"So we're gettin' close to the grand finale, eh?", Kanji said. "Man, I'm startin' to get pumped jus' thinkin' 'bout it!" He rummaged inside his bag and took out several pieces of yarn in order to let off some steam while sewing.

"So let's do our best, guys!", Souji said grimly, the others nodding in agreement.

Moments later, Souji felt the Fool Social Link advancing towards level 4.

~.~.~.~.~

It was a few minutes later - after all of the friends had left the cafeteria and gone towards different directions in order to reach their seminars - when a hand suddenly struck out of the ground, grabbed Hiro and dragged him down into the earth with it.

"Ugh!", he groaned when his stomach hit the solid ground first.

"You're finally alone, my dear! Now, hurry! We have something to talk about, you know!", a rather gruff voice said next to him.

"Ow! That wasn't really nice!", Hiro protested and rubbed his now aching belly before he looked up at Mr. Bagman and grinned, staring right into the old man's yellow blazing eyes. "Hello, Sensei!"

~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: I think I'll have to explain the thing about the two versions of the last chapter. If you choose to "like" Hiro, Souji will always defend him and be on his side. But if you choose to "hate" Hiro, Souji will be suspicious of him and join Naoto in suspecting him of stuff. In other word, Souji will take on the same opinion as the reader.**

**There will be only a few of those chapters that have a "like" and a "hate" version, and there will always only be minimal changes in them, but it will eventually lead to something.**

**I had actually planned not to post anything anymore on that spoiler site, but I'll do it one last to time to explain this "like"/"hate" system there.**

**Oh, and also, I have received some suggestions in regards to things happening in the story. I have already planned everything that's going to happen so I can't add anything anymore. To those who gave me those ideas, I'm sorry, but please try to understand that.**

**As always, thank you for reviewing, everyone!**


	73. Chapter 72: Sensei and his pupil

_**Chapter 72: Sensei and his pupil**_

"Hello, Sensei!", Hiro greeted the old professor, who was glaring angrily at him, from the ground with a grin.

"I finally get to speak to you alone, my dear!", the old man said and knocked on the ground a few times with his cane when quiet squeaking could be heard not from too far away. More noises followed, this time slightly louder, as if someone had been beaten with a bat, followed by pained squeaks and hasty scuffing of feet as if those things that had been slowly approaching them were now fleeing as fast as possible. "Bothersome little pests; you leave them unobserved for even one moment, and they think they can overrun you. Well, I never!"

"That cane's so cool, Sensei!", Hiro opined and with desire stared at Mr. Bagman's cane that had just now driven away those creatures with its magic. "Couldn't you have given that to me so that I might have been able to use it in the TV world?"

"No.", was the simple answer, and another knock with the knock with the cane suddenly lifted Hiro up into the air, only to be sat down standing on the ground seconds later. "As you already know this cane is absolutely important to my continued existence for me. Without it I would be long gone by now. And besides, what do you fool think would have happened if the Shirogane brat had seen that cane in your hands? She would have put one and one together at once and known that I was the one behind the plan of helping them!"

"You're sooo altruistic, Sensei!", Hiro giggled.

"I would watch out what I'm saying if I were you, brat!", Mr. Bagman snarled. Another knock with the cane and Hiro suddenly grabbed his stomach in serious pain. "Altruistic? Me? I hope that was supposed to be a joke! You should know better than anyone what is going to happen as soon as my preparations are complete!"

"... Yep.", Hiro groaned through his pain. "Poor little girl... And to think that this is the Sensei from all those years back then!"

"Brat, did you already forget that I'm just his Shadow? I'm what your Sensei has really been all along!", Mr. Bagman grunted and closed his eyes with a sigh. "My original was a fool who had tried to veil his eyes from the truth with all his might, and would rather seal away all his wishes, all his desires. But not me! I _will_ find a way to leave this prison that he had created!" His eyes glimmered threateningly.

"Scaa~ary!", Hiro whistled cheerfully. "I was really lucky that night! If I weren't your cute little pupil from back then..."

"Indeed..."

~.~.~.~.~

Flashback:

"Circle?", Hiro repeated, puzzled, and looked around the PC. "I don´t see any circle, Baggy! Sorry!" He set up his usual fake goofy smile. "Well, I´d better be off to bed now, right? And I promise I won´t do it again, Baggy! I´m really sorry! Bye-bye!" He wandered towards the exit.

"... Off to bed?", Mr. Bagman repeated and hit the floor with his cane once. "I think not."

Hiro had just reached the exit when he was thrown back into the PC by an invisible barrier.

"What the...?", the brown-haired one stammered and looked around in bewilderment.

"I think it is time we two have a serious talk.", Mr. Bagman said and entered the room as well now. Darkness started to seep from the old professor´s body and engulfed the room more and more. "Yesss... A nice, long talk, my dear... You still look quite young, I must say. Just perrrfect..." The old man's face that had looked so deadly tired just now took on seriously evil facial traits while kneeling over Hiro.

"B-Baggy...?", Hiro asked in confusion from the ground when one of Mr. Bagman's hands began choking him.

"I hadn't managed to get that close to Seta and the director of Inaba's prison...", the old man whispered in bliss, amused by the student's widely opened eyes. The hand that was chocking Hiro slowly deformed into a liquid substance and separated from the old professor, wandering upwards Hiro's face. Seconds later a loud, albeit short scream could be heard, when the substance suddenly forced its way into Hiro's ears while the professor was covering the brown-haired man's mouth with the new hand that already formed on his body. "Very good... This could prove to be my salvation, should I ever feel the need to call upon Ebisu..." The old man's smile vanished seconds later when Hiro's hand suddenly connected with the professor's ribcage, the impact throwing Mr. Bagman backwards. "What in the world...?", the old man snarled, stopping midway in his backwards-fall like an over-sized bat and gently landing on the ground. "How...?" But he didn't have time to wonder about anything else since suddenly the debris around him started moving and took on the form of a giant plane mouth that swallowed him whole.

"Phew...", Hiro sighed after a short moment of silence and searched inside his trouser pocket to take out some small pills. He screamed in shock when suddenly a hand grabbed out of the ground, followed by the rest of Mr. Bagman's body that was surrounded by a quietly sobbing silhouette. The hand grabbed the pills in Hiro's hand.

"Those pills...! That alchemy...!", the old professor said, gaze analyzing. "... Kashim?"

Hiro's eyes widened before the pills fell to the ground. "S... ensei?"

~.~.~.~.~

"Hiroshi Sideu who had been given to my original dozens of years ago as a baby in Kirijo's laboratory. Your grandparents had been friends with Kirijo and had given you to the lab without blinking an eye to get some of the power in return that Kirijo was about to harness. You didn't have a name when you arrived so my original had named you `Kashim´.", Mr. Bagman spoke with an amused glint in his eyes. "What luck for you that it was my original that had taken care of you. Otherwise you would have ended like all those other brats that had been forced to take those normal medications."

"Which is something that I still don't understand.", Hiro opined and shrugged. "Why did Sensei's original choose me and not the other children?"

"Because of your history.", the Shadow of Mr. Bagman simply answered. "You were sold by your grandparents so that they could obtain power. That struck a nerve with him, my dear. All those other brats were mere street rats that had been found on the street. You were the only child that had been thrown away and abandoned at will, though. He... had felt connected to you, if one would like to call it that."

"And instead of forcing me to take those pills and make me awaken to my Persona, he chose to give me these pills here so that I would awake to the same power as he! Sensei was such a generous man!", Hiro said happily.

"A generous man, huh...?", Mr. Bagman said and took a short glance at his cane that was adorned with the strangest signs. The letter _U_, _A_, _I_, _Z_, _N_ and another _A_ were scattered all over it. "Foolish child... If only you knew how much you had been used by him..."

"Oh, I'm aware of that.", Hiro said and smiled. "And yet still, without Sensei I had never gotten those powers to do what I want to do."

"And speaking of `power´, might I remind you that those barriers of mine are very, very valuable?", Mr. Bagman said, suddenly sounding very admonishing. "And knowing that exactly, you still wasted three of these barriers in the battle against Yamagishi's Shadow!"

"Oh, come on, Sensei! How else was I supposed to save that weakling Souji Seta when the Emperor and Empress Shadow had been trying to crush him!", Hiro defended himself. "You should be happy instead that I did you a little favour in remembrance of the friendly relationship Sensei and me had years ago!"

"Humph!" Mr. Bagman glared at him. "`Little favour´... So that means from now on we'll be walking separate paths again, doesn't it?"

"Yap."

"How very interesting!", someone behind the two men suddenly said. Both men instantly whirled around and stared at the intruder who had dared to interrupt their conversation.

"Ooooh!", Hiro said and stared at the newcomer in fascination. "I see! So you're the `killer´ that Seta-baka and the other idiots are after, huh?"

"So he's not on your side?", the newly arrived person asked Mr. Bagman, ignoring Hiro.

"Unfortunately, no.", the professor replied.

"Then, maybe I could...?", the person began hopefully.

"Nope.", Hiro said cheerfully. "I'm neither on Sensei's side, nor your side, nor Seta's side. I prefer my side, thanks."

"`Sensei´?", the person repeated, slightly puzzled. "Not `Baggy´ anymore? That name was sooo fitting!"

"Humph..." Mr. Bagman glared at them while the person continued to study Hirl.

"Tell me, Sideu, what exactly are your motivations?", they finally asked him.

"My motivations?", Hiro repeated questioningly.

"In other words, why are you doing the things you do?"

"Oooh, I see!", Hiro said with shining eyes. "My reasons for doing this? Well... how should I answer this...? Hmm, yes, I think one could explain it like that: I love watching things unfold after giving them a little - what should I call it? - _push_. Finding out if they may persist or perish on their journey: That´s the thrill I´m after!"

The person stared at him for a moment before they curled their lips and began to laugh heartily. "Hahaha! Sideu, I think I could really come to like you! You're just as manic as Baggy and me! Haha!"

"Manic? Manic is goooooood!", Hiro happily sang.

"I won't tolerate you throwing me together in the same category as you two!", Mr. Bagman protested in disgust. "No respect for one's elders! You really are bad children!"

"Say, Sideu-kun...", the person suddenly said with faked sweetness in their voice. "Let's say I'm going to do something that may sparkle your interest - Would you be willing to lend me your help then?"

"Yap.", Hiro said immediately. "I don't care who's on whose side. I just want to have fuuuuun~."

"Interesting...", the person said. "Maybe I'll come back to that later to you, Sideu." They jumped to the side when Mr. Bagman suddenly threw circles of fire at the person. "Forget it, old fart! I won't let my guard down so easily! Just die already!" And with those words they vanished into the ground.

"It was worth a try, my dear.", Mr. Bagman simply said and turned to Hiro again. "Now, my dear, should return back to the human world?"

"Human world? So this is the TV world?", Hiro asked, puzzled.

"Of course. What do you think those creatures were that had been trying to get close to us a few moments ago?", Mr. Bagman replied, grabbed Hiro's hand and disappeared with him in the ground. "By the way, did Yamagishi-san like her `present´?"

"Yap. You have very good taste, Sensei!", Hiro replied happily.

~.~.~.~.~

Having managed to get through the seminars without falling asleep, Souji shuffled back to his lounge were Teddie was sitting in front of Yosuke's laptop as usually, chatting with his online friend and slaughtering stuff.

_- Sensei'sTeddie: Of course! I'm beary popular with the girls! Just look at my characteristics! I've already got 31 girlfriends! Score for Teddie!_

Souji stared at the laptop screen in horror. _`What the...? 31 girlfriends? How-´_

"Your game character can marry characters of the other gender in the game, Sensei.", Teddie happily explained.

"Oh..." Had he said that aloud just now?

_- BoyWithBlueHair: Haha! Bears really seem to be popular with the ladies!_

_- Sensei'sTeddie: Yap! I'm cute, adorable and my fine fur is so smoothly and soft!_

_`Poor guy...´_, Souji thought. Teddie's internet friend must really be wondering what kind of a Furry he had gotten himself as a friend right now.

_- BoyWithBlueHair: I really envy you, my furry friend! I wish I had your social skills! Mine are, let's say, rather limited, I'm afraid._

_- Sensei'sTeddie: Ooooh, group hug for BlueHair! T-T_

_- BoyWithBlueHair: Well, I think it has party to do with all those adventures you'd had on that other side._

Souji startled at that. "Teddie, what exactly did y-?", he started, but he stopped with slightly widened eyes when he read the next sentence of Teddie's online friend.

_- BoyWithBlueHair: I, on the other hand, only have that dark room and my toys to content with._

_Don't you understand? You're merely a toy for me, just like everything else in this pathetic world of ants... Toys I might __**accidentally**__... break... Tee hee hee..._

The words of that creature that he had encountered shortly after Patty's rescue at that dark place (Author's notes: That happened in chapter 46, if you've forgotten) suddenly came back to him while staring at the screen of Yosuke's laptop. _`That guy...´_, Souji thought, but shook his head.

No, Teddie was certainly _not_chatting with that crazy creature that he had met on that day! He hadn't seen any computer whatsoever seen at that place and he was sure that there certainly wouldn't be any internet connection. He should better stop seeing evil beings everywhere and anywhere, just waiting to pounce at him the moment he let his guard down.

_`But that creature back then...´_, he thought, taking some pieces of clothes out of his clothes and began changing into those on his bed. _`I had never really had the time to think about it since then.´_ He threw the trousers he had worn until now to the side and tried to get into the one he had just now taken from the closet, just to realized that he just would not fit into them, no matter how hard he tried.

Had he really gained that much weight these last few months?

He stared at said trousers for a while in suspicion before looking at Teddie. "... Teddie, you didn't wash some of my clothes, by any chance?"

"Oh yeah, I sure did!", Teddie replied happily. "Sensei is always washing my clothes for me because I don't know how to do it! That's why I wanted to thank Sensei and washed his clothes on my first try as well!"

"... Thank you very much...", Souji grumbled, grabbed the shrunk trousers and deposited them as far back into his trunks as possible, searched for other pieces of clothes that had suffered under Teddie's washing try, and finally grabbed some pants that Teddie hadn't managed to get his hands on. It seemed like he would have to visit a fashion store tonight as well. _`Oh, and I need a lock for my closet, too!´_, he mentally added in slight annoyance before wondering what he had been thinking about just now. He shortly looked around the room in thought before shrugging his shoulders. It couldnÄt really have been that important if he had already forgotten about it again, he figured while tying his shoe laces, standing up seconds later and grabbing his jacket.

"Where are you going, Sensei?", Teddie asked curiously without looking up from the screen.

"To the Tajibayaki's. Shinji needs his babysitter again.", Souji replied. _`And Hisano needs her watchdog...´_

"Oh, then have fun with that cute little baby!", Teddie called after him.

_`Having fun with that little devil, huh?´_, Souji thought, sighing.

Well, with all that chaos and those confusing events lately, it would certainly do him some good to breathe some fresh ear outside of Tanaba University and forget about everything for a while.

Even though it meant having to endure that spitting and pissing little brat...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes:**

**Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: The pairings will happen about halfway through the story, don't worry. I'd say we're about 40 % through the whole story now.**


	74. Chapter 73: Fun in the city

_**Chapter 73: Fun in the city**_

"He´s going to be alright... right?" It was the voice of a boy he did not know.

Silence.

"If it is more money you need, then...!"

"... He won´t wake up again, Miss. We did everything we could. I´m sorry..."

"You´re sorry? YOU´RE SORRY!" A female voice that seemed familiar to him.

He felt his how his entire being suddenly became torn apart: His body one part, his mind another one, his life itself the third one... being blown into all different directions... The day of his birth... and the birth of his two siblings...

"Burn..."

"My..."

"Dread..."

~.~.~.~

Drenched in sweat, Teddie woke up in Yosuke's bed - where he had slept with out his permission again after having ended his playing session - and stared around the room. Sensei still wasn't back from babysitting and stupid Yosuke was nowhere to be seen as well. Body shaking slightly, he wobbled towards his newest sugar hideout - a loose piece of floor board beneath Sensei's bed - and downed a ridiculous amount of that sweet stuff before sitting down on Sensei's bed.

_`That dream agin...´_, he thought and wiped the sweat from his face using Sensei's pillow. _`I've been having that same dream again and again ever since we've defeated Kanji's pink Shadow inside Fart- uh, Tartarus...´_ He stared upwards to the light at the ceiling that blinded him slightly. _`Body... mind... and life... hrmm...´_

"Oh, I get it!", he suddenly said very loudly, jumped up, got tangled in the sheets and fell to the ground. "Those must be the Body Energy, the Mind Energy and the Life Energy that Mitsu-chan had been talking about! Hah, I'm a genius!"

He fought his way out of the prison made of sheet and sat down on Yosuke's working chair. So in that dream this person had lost the three energies.

"So that means they can't summon a Bearsona anymore, huh...?"

But what about the part that went like `the day of his birth´ and something about `his two siblings´?

Teddie tilted his head to the side and stared at Yosuke's laptop. _BoyWithBlueHair_ had gone offline shortly after they had successfully explored the _Never Ever Ranch_where a pale man who just loooooooved little children had been living, and he probably would not come online again for some time so that he could discuss the dream he had had. His online friend always knew the answer to his questions. It was as if he had found a long-lost brother in _BoyWithBlueHair._

Teddie hung his head in disappointment and was already on his way back to Yosuke's bed when someone knocked at the door. Kou stuck his head inside the room.

"Hey, Ted! Is Yosuke here by any chance?", he asked the blond Shadow who merely shook his head. "Oh, damn! And Souji's away at his part-time job, huh...?" He sighed, scratched his head and looked at Teddie again. "Hey, how 'bout it, Ted? Wanna go chill for a bit in the city?"

"Hmm..." Teddie threw another glance at Yosuke's laptop. Nope, his online friend certainly wouldn't be back online any time soon. "Okay!", he finally agreed.

~.~.~.~.~

Souji, finally feeling fully awake after having left Tanaba University, took a relieved breath when he was finally able to leave the Tajibayaki's house shortly after sunset. The atmosphere inside the house had been far too suffocating, what with Mrs. Tajibayaki and Hisano glaring at each other the whole time, but it had only gotten worse after Mrs. Tajibayaki had finally left the house so that Souji was alone with the old lady and the bratty newborn. During these hours alone with the them the old woman had done nothing else but nag him about taking a nice walk through the city, exactly the one thing that Mrs. Tajibayaki was trying to prevent her from doing.

In the end Souji had had to spend these last few hours with a loudly screaming baby and more and more depressed Hisano who was constantly talking more and more gibberish - first how proud she was of her _grandson _Shinji, then about how big and strong her _son _Shinji had gotten, and finally that her _grand-grandson_ was already able to say _`Grandma´_(which Souji highly doubted, by the way) - the mood dropping more and more.

He absolutely did not know how the help the family. One side was pulling toward that direction and wanted that Hisano stayed at home so that she wouldn't get hurt while the other side pulled towards the exact opposite side and wanted to get the hell out.

Where exactly was he to draw the line with this?

But he didn't get very far with thinking about this rather difficult situation when suddenly someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him behind a hedge.

"What the...?", he stammered in shock, whirled around and stared directly into the face of Nikita Uchitaka who looked rather freaked out while holding a finger to his mouth, wanting him to keep quiet. "... Good evening, Uchitaka-san."

"IT'S NIK-", Nikita started to yell, but stopped with a quiet groan and slapped himself for being so loud. "It's Nikita, you brat! Addressing me like that just makes me look old!", he snarled as quietly as possible and threw quick glances around to make sure that nobody was seeing them.

_`That man really has some issues...´_, Souji decided, shaking his head.

"Okay, go into the car! Hurry!", Nikita whispered.

"... Huh?"

"Your first shift at my bar starts soon, and in my greatness I have decided to drive you there!", Nikita explained proudly before throwing some more cautious glances around. "C'mon, get into the car! And be quick before someone around here starts to think I'm into that sick pedophile stuff!"

"... I've been an adult for several years now, Uchi- Nikita.", Souji explained calmly.

"STOP BEING CHEEKY ALL THE TIME, FELLA!", Nikita screeched into his ear with a hysterical voice, then stuffed his fist into his mouth in annoyance at himself for shouting once again. He stared rather confused at Souji who was suddenly waving. "... Who are you waving at?"

"Hisano-san, who's staring at us rather dumbfound.", was Souji's simple answer.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!", Nikita screeched in horror, threw a loudly protesting Souji over his shoulder and started running. He threw the silver-haired Fool into his car, started the engine and hurriedly left the block. "OH MY GOD! I'M SO SCREWED! OH MY GOD! MY FACE WILL BE PRINTED ON ALL NEWSPAPERS WITH THE WARNING **`PEDO ALERT! KEEP YOUR DISTANCE´**! I-"

"You can let me out here.", Souji simply said.

"- TO SLEEP UNDER A BRIDE FOR THE REST OF MY LIF- What?"

"You can let me out over there.", Souji repeated. "I´ve promised Yosuke him at the station near the bar. If I don't show up there, he'll be late at work. And you don't want that, do you?"

"CHEEKY BRAT! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO FROM THE STARTS! I'VE MADE MYSELF LOOK LIKE A PEDO FOR NOTHING NOW! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Several minutes later and with a slight hearing loss Souji was wandering towards the station, sighing deeply.

Whatever had he done in his former life to deserve this kind of punishment?

~.~.~.~.~

"Uuuum...", Yosuke suddenly said a bit later behind Souji when the both of them had reached the entrance to the alley that led toward the part of town that was known for its gay bars and such.

"What?", Souji asked, threw a glance behind him and startled; Yosuke had stopped exactly in front of the entrance to the alley, a `DO NOT WANT!´ look on his face.

"D-do we really ha-have t-t-to go in th-there?", Yosuke stammered in a way that would make Ikas proud.

"Huh?" Souji stared at him in disbelief. "Yosuke, you're not about to tell that you're suddenly scared of entering even though you've practically dragged me here last time?"

"Th-that was d-different!", Yosuke protested. "B-back the-then, I had t-to prove my i-innocence t-to you! Tha-that's not the ca-case this t-t-time!"

"So that's why you'd made me promise to meet you at the station - so that wouldn't have had to enter this place all alone.". Souji sighed.

Yosuke nodded vehemently, lower lip trembling in fear.

"And how did you manage to get to the bar without me so far?", Souji asked.

"Well, I-I'd always go about half an ho-hour earlier.", Yosuke explained.

_`"And then I'd always stand here right in front of the entrance for half an hour before finally running towards the bar, screaming like a girl", is what you've forgotten to add, Yosuke.´_, Souji thought, slightly annoyed. "Okay, then just walk closely behind me so that the eeeeeevil gay ones can't get you.", he finally said and continued his way to the bar.

Yosuke didn't budge at all.

"... Yosuke.", he simply said in a warning tone and then just walked further into the alley.

A few seconds later - when he'd been nearly out of sight for Yosuke - the music-loving man screeched rather loudly, jumped at the silver-haired Fool and clung to him in fear. "What now!", Souji snarled while several homosexuals around them whistled in appreciation at seing those two young man standing so close together.

"Th-th-th-", Yosuke stammered and pointed behind him where several homosexuals had just now entered the alley, causing Yosuke to panic and bolt away.

"Grrr!", Souji snapped, shoved Yosuke to the side and quickly walked towards the bar before he lost it with his best and homophobe friend.

"DON'T LEAVE ME ALOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!", Yosuke pleaded behind him with a teary voice.

_`Yosuke Hanamura, symbol of everything that is not manly...´_, Souji simply thought, opened the entrance door to the bar and smashed it right into Yosuke who was hurrying to get inside as well.

~.~.~.~.~

Souji left the bar with slightly mixed feeling a few hours later, oblivious to Yosuke who, now too exhausted from his performance on stage to really care about the gay people around him, was walking right next to him.

His first shift at the bar had been rather strange. After several ear-deafening orders from his boss Nikita - that man could even wake up the dead with his screechy voice - and much pushing since he just couldn't get through the mass of people on the dance floor who always seemed to find an excuse for groping his ass, he finally reached the separate part of the establishment where the first customer - an older man that had been drooling at him - had already been waiting for him. Souji's first thought had been to get the hell out of there, but had thankfully remembered that those old gentleman here in this part of the bar only wanted to talk, nothing else.

He had sat down at the other side of the table the man had been sitting, said man seeming to have forgotten the fact that here body contact of any kind was strictly forbidden, immediately starting to lean down in his armchair - so that his leg would touch Souji's leg - and playing footsie with him. Feeling rather disgusted, Souji had done his best not to let that disgust show in his face while he slowly moved back with his chair, the man following with his foot until he couldn't reach Souji anymore. The old man merely huffed in disappointment and sat back upright in his armchair.

After that `nice talk´ with the gentleman who had wanted to have a bit too much body contact for Souji's liking, the next customer had followed. He had been a rather old man - his hair completely gray and at several places bald, his skin wrinkly and haggard. The man had simply stared at Souji for a while - Souji not really knowing where to begin with their talk - before he had merely shook his head with a sigh, leaving the table a look of deep misery.

Souji hadn't really had any time to think about the old man's strange behaviour before Nikita had shoved him to the next customer with his fake nasal voice...

On his way back through the alley Souji threw a glance at the bar again. Who exactly was that old man? He hadn't seemed like any of those other old gentleman who sometimes had been rather too intend on getting to touch him, as if he hadn't been interest about talking about everything and nothing with a good-looking young man. His neat and proper-looking appearance had also been a huge contrast to the rest of the clientele that had been at the bar so far.

Did that old man come here often? And if so, why? To Souji, he seemed to fit in there like Chie would in a ballet class.

Being absorbed this deeply into his own thoughts while Yosuke was too tired to mind anything, they both left the alley and entered the main street.

Sensei!"

"S-Souji? Yosuke?"

Souji and Yosuke both stared in horror when they noticed Teddie, a hamburger in one hand and a hot-dog in the other, and Kou, about to take a sip from his soda, on the main street near the alley they were coming from. Teddie was staring happily at them, not realizing where Sensei and that stupid Yosuke had just come from, while Kou was gaping at them in disbelief.

Two small words went through Souji and Yosuke's had at nearly the same time: _`Oh Fuck!´_

~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: After all this heavy talk, it was just time to finally do a somewhat funny chapter again!**

**Thank you for reviewing, everyone!**


	75. Chapter 74: Nightly discussions

_**Chapter 74: Nightly discussions**_

Majorly annoyed, Akihiko flung the report that had just arrived at the university this morning - once the rookies at the police department at finally found it again after having misplaced it, he now recalled angrily - right over his working table.

"Damn...", he grumbled and leaned back into his working chair with a deep sigh. The report he had counted on finally enabling them to make a major breakthrough regarding the murder cases had proven to be completely useless. He stared at the title of said report - _`File Yosufu Bagman´_ - and grumbled some more.

Souji and his friends may suspect that girl named Ikas Ito to be the killer all they want. For him the old literature professor was the main suspect of this case; he was absolutely convinced of that after having talked to him alone in the old man's office.

He had placed all his hopes on the statement the man had made when he had taken a look at the photo that had partly stuck out under the professor's documents that day. On that photo that had been partly revealed, he had been able to see a small and smiling girl, and Mr. Bagman had claimed that she was `just the cute little daughter of his younger sister´.

He had hoped to disprove that statement through investigations of the police department, but thanks to the report that contained the results of said investigation he now know that Yosufu Bagman really did have a younger sister who had given birth to two children, both girls at that. Both girls were adults by now, but Akihiko hadn't been able to ascertain how old the photo was exactly. It could have been taken years ago.

_`Another dead end...´_, he thought grimly. _`What now...?´_

He had been so sure that this report would be the key to driving Mr. Bagman into a corner.

_`The only thing left for me to do is to hope that Fuuka can manage to find something in the PC with the help of her Persona that Junpei and Ken may have overlooked...´_ He furrowed his brow. _`The PC... I have a feeling that it wasn't destroyed just for fun. And they still haven't begun rebuilding it since Bagman insists, that the construction noise will only disrupt the students studies.´_ He grunted cynically. _`Yeah, right! Of course __**that's **__the reason why you don't want them rebuilding the PC, Bagman! Tch! And pigs may very well be able to fly!´_

He sighed again. Looks like it was finally time to really take a closer look at that Ikas Ito for the time being...

~.~.~.~.~.~

"S-Souji? Yosuke?", Kou stared at Souji and Yosuke who had just now left the gay quarter of Tokyo like they were an apparition, an especially pink, homosexual one, of course.

Yosuke immediately made a tormented squeaking sound and tried hiding behind Souji - who was just standing there in shock as well - in vain.

_`Find an an excuse! Find an excuse! Hurry!´_, the silver-haired Fool thought, slightly panicking. _`You're normally really good at that so do it!´_ "Uh... We're not gay.", he said. _`How very eloquent and intelligent, Seta!´_, he thought at the same time and made a mental note to kick himself once he was alone.

"Uh-huh...", Kou only said skeptically, his gaze wandering towards Yosuke, who looked like he would very much like to just stand there like a pillar of salt for the rest of his life, and back to Souji. "I mean, it's okay for me, if you two are, well... you know. But..." His gaze wandered back to Yosuke. "Isn't it a bit mean to always make fun o' Kanji if you're gay yourself, Yosuke?"

The moment Yosuke heard his name mentioned together with the word `gay´ something seemed to finally come back to life inside him. "I'M NOT GAAAAAAAAAY!", he immediately screamed in panic - just like Kanji always did when Yosuke called him that - so that each and every passersby was now staring at those four young adults.

"Thank you very much for that performance, Yosuke! Now you've got the whole shopping street's attention!", Souji quietly snarled at him.

Yosuke looked around in absolute horror, noticing the stares of the passersby, grabbed Teddie and Kou and hurriedly dragged them into the alley that led to the gay quarter, a sighing Souji right behind them.

"Whoa, dude! I may not be homophobe, but that doesn't mean I want to party here!", Kou protested while Teddie `oohed´ and `aahed´ at all those nice pink neon signs that hung practically everywhere.

"Shut your trap! I already told ya, I'm not-"

"Ooooh! I spy my with my little eye a real cutie-pie!", a nasal voice could suddenly heard, followed by its owner Nikita in his Drag Queen costume who was quickly approaching them on the street, gaze fixated on Teddie, as if he had just found the holy grail. "What a cute little guy who have there with you!"

"Whooooaaaa...", Teddie only said when he saw Nikita while Kou slightly backed away. "What a beautiful lady!"

"That's not a woman, you stup-", Yosuke started in absolute horror.

"Just thinking about how the costumers will try and break down my door if I had such a cute guy working for me - GOODNESS! My heart suddenly feels all warm and swollen inside!", Nikita squealed, seeing the load of money he could get from hiring Teddie right before his eyes.

"I'm feeling all warm inside, too!", Teddie said cheerfully. "May I try sco-"

"You, no don't!", Souji interrupted him hurriedly, already knowing what the blond Shadow was going to say next, wished a disappointed looking Nikita a good night and dragged his friends out of the alley and towards the station.

"... So...", Kou suddenly said on their way to the station.

"... What?", Yosuke asked slowly, grumbling.

"If you got Souji, then it's okay for me to get closer to Chie-san, right?", Kou asked hopefully.

"I'M NOT GAAAAAAAAAY!"

Souji only sighed. Teddie wouldn't be a problem since he didn't get what this was all about anyway. But convincing Kou that he and Yosuke weren't together would be an entirely different thing.

"Uh-huh.", Kou only said to that. "'s okay, Yosuke, dude. Everyone has the right to be happy in their life. If you want, Teddie can sleep in Kanji and my lounge from time to time, if you want to have... some `alone time´. You get what I'm talking about?" He winked at Yosuke conspiratorial.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

~.~.~.~.~.~

A rather loud knock at the door of Akihiko's office made the young director, who was currently reading through the report about Mr. Bagman again, look up.

"Come in!", he said, voice a bit tired, closed the report and shoved it to the side. He was just leaning back into his working chair again when the door was opened and Ryotaro Dojima stepped into the office. "Dojima-senpai.", he greeted the detective with a nod.

"Good evening, Sanada.", Dojima returned the greeting and sat down on the chair opposite of Akihiko that said director had offered him with a hand sign. "And, Sanada? The report's arrived, hasn't it?"

"Yes.", Akhiko answered, sighed and threw a glare at the offending thing.

"... That bad?", Dojima asked, trying to interpret Akihiko's look.

"Unfortunately, yes.", Akihiko replied after a short moment of silence and his fist connected with the working table. "Damnit! And I was so sure we could back him into a corner with that!"

"Well, that's how it is. Sometimes you win, sometimes you utterly lose in our profession, Sanada.", Dojima merely said and slightly leaned over the table. "You really are sure that that man has something to do with the murders at the university?"

"Not only the murders around here, Dojima-senpai.", Akihiko corrected. "If my intuition's right, that guy's also behind the murders of all those children throughout Japan..."

"Well, if that's the case, then maybe I should have a nice, long talk with that gentleman.", Dojima opined. "After all, I have been assigned to investigate those murders of the children."

"Yosufu Bagman has already left the university for today.", Akihiko answered and shook his head. "And it his my duty as a director of this university to keep an eye on my professors. Leave this to me."

Dojima stared at him for a short while before he nodded. "Alright."

"How are your investigations coming along, Dojima-senpai?", Akihiko continued their discussion.

"... Just as slowly and bad as yours.", Dojima admitted, slightly grumpy. "We're currently investigating those gangs related to child pornography, but... there's not much left of them, is there?"

"How so?", Akihiko inquired.

"Well, it seems that in the last few years more and more of those gangs have been utterly destroyed., Dojima explained.

"By the police? But, how?", Akihiko asked. "I've never heard anything about that."

"It's because the police is treating it as `top secret´.", Dojima explained. "Only those in the higher ranks know about it. I've only received that information now, because those gangs using children for pornos have to be investigated thoroughly now." He thankfully took the glass of water Akihiko offered him. "And it wasn't the police that destroyed most of them. It seems that over the last few years those gangs had been found _already_ destroyed by the police."

"What exactly do you mean when you're saying `destroyed´?", Akihiko asked.

"Well, I've seen some photos of crime scenes, and let's just say it like that: Those hideouts of them looked like slaughterhouses, the gang members' bodies sliced up quite thoroughly, blood, organs, bowels everywhere. Not very appetizing.", Dojima explained. "Seems as if someone's got a big grudge against those gangs."

"Who wouldn't, against someone using children for _that_!", Akihiko replied in disgust.

"Sure, those bastards deserved to be punished, but like that? I don't really know...", Dojima opined, body tense. "Anyway, those attacks on the gangs recently stopped all of a sudden. And do you want to know when?"

"When?"

"Shortly before this semester started.", Dojima said. "Since you're suspecting that Bagman regarding in regards to all those murders cases, I thought this would be worth mentioning to you."

"Hmm..." Akihiko stared at the report again and scratched his head. "Interesting..."

~.~.~.~.~

Hiro Sideu was happily leaning over several pieces of paper in his lounge where he was living alone when he suddenly felt a presence behind him. He jumped up in shock, ready to attack whoever it was that had broken in here, and stared at the intruder.

"Oh, it's just you...", he said and grinned at the person that had entered his lounge. "... Killer-san!"

"Don't give me such ridiculous names!", the intruder snarled in slight annoyance and threw a glance at the pieces of paper that were scattered over Hiro's writing table. "... Are those...?" The individual leaned a little bit closer to those papers.

"Yep!", Hiro said proudly. "I've stolen them from Yamagishi's office all by myself!"

"Hah, so that's it!", the person said, grinning. "And here I was wondering how a goofball like you could always be at the top of the exams! Really! So you're always stealing the test questions from the professors! *snrk*"

"Yap. Sensei was surprised about it as well.", Hiro said.

"`Sensei´?", the person repeated, puzzled. "Wait a minute! Baggy knows you're cheating? And he didn't say anything about it? Has that old fart gone completely senile now or what? Normally he's after students trying to cheat like hell itself!"

"Yeah, I was surprised about it myself.", Hiro replied, nodding in agreement. "He _had been _angry, but he still helped me find a white lie: a present I could give Yamagishi."

"Heh... Seems the old guy really has a soft spot for you, Sideu.", the person mumbled and sat down on the unused second bed in the lounge.

Silence...

"... Hey, Sideu?", the person finally asked after a while, Hiro already having sat down again to memorize the test questions and their answers.

"Hmm?", Hiro merely grunted, lost in thought.

"... What do you think about Seta and the rest of the gang?"

"They're funny. Why?", Hiro replied.

"`Funny´?", the person repeated questioningly.

"Yes. They're so pathetic and dumb, one just can't help but think that they're funny. Don't you think so?", Hiro explained.

"Oh. I see...", the person said, gaze lowered to the ground.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well... no real reason.", was the rather quiet answer.

"... Killer-san?", Hiro asked, slightly puzzled.

"I already told you, don't go giving me stupid nicknames!", the person snarled and jumped up from the bed in annoyance.

"That's more like it!", Hiro chuckled in amusement. "A killer has to be evil and ruthless! Don't ever forget that!"

"You've read one too many crime thrillers, Sideu.", the person sighed. "At any rate, I might have something for you that might stimulate your exploratory urge, you know."

"Oh?" Hiro immediately shoved the copies of the test questions to the side and stared curiously. "Well, then tell me already, Killer-san. I can't wait to have some fun again!"

~.~.~.~.~.~

Mr. Bagman had - just like he had last night as well before heading home and then had gone to go find his next victim - taken position, hidden between the debris in the PC, when suddenly three individuals quietly entered the destroyed hall.

"Careful, Fuuka-san. It's a bit steep because of all the debris over there.", he could hear one of those three say who were sneaking around in here.

"You sure ya want to do that now in your current condition, Fuuka?", the other male companion of the Informatics professor asked.

"Yes, thank you for worrying, Junpei-kun, Ken-kun.", the professor replied thankfully while forcing her way through the PC, face still very pale.

_`Stubborn little thing...´_, Mr. Bagman thought, impressed. _`Always looking so fragile, but she is really resilient, isn't she!´_

Having reached the center of the PC, Fuuka took out something that looked like a revolver and, held it against her temple and pulled the trigger. Blue light shot forth to all sides when a Persona appeared in the room and engulfed the professor into its protecting body.

At the same time, Mr. Bagman softly knocked at the ground with his cane, disguising his presence with the use of alchemy so that Fuuka wouldn't be able to sense him in here.

"Juno, tell me, what is that evil presence that is supposedly dwelling in here...?", the young professors mumbled like she was in a trance, the Persona stretching its wings father and farther, trying to find something that might be hidden in this room.

"I still think that student that had given me the tip had been a bit wacky, stutterin' the whole time like that and all.", Junpei said, shrugging.

"Shh!", Ken only whispered to shut him up so that Fuuka could concentrate.

Fuuka's Persona stretched its wings towards all directions, scanning the room thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned, and finally disappeared again, Fuuka sinking to the ground panting.

"Fuuka-san!", Ken shouted in worry and knelt down beside her to help her up.

"Thank you... Ken-kun...", Fuuka panted, exhausted.

"Told ya to wait 'til you're feelin' better!", Junpei said immediately.

"No... It had to be done...", Fuuka wheezed, trying to catch her breath. "If this... could have really helped us to find some clue... then we had to... investigate as quickly as possible..."

"`If this could have really helped us to find some clue´...", Ken repeated. "So... there's really nothing here?"

"No, unfortunately not.", Fuuka replied.

"I told ya so!", Junpei simply grunted and gently grabbed Fuuka's shoulders to steer her out of the PC. "Okay, Fuuka-chan! Nap Time!", he talked to her like one would to their child, Fuuka laughing amusement and let herself be nearly carried outside.

"Good...", the old professor eventually said in relief once the three had finally left the PC again.

It had really been his lucky day for him when he had found Hiro inside the PC, leaning over the test question Yamagishi had prepared. If Lady Luck hadn't helped him like that, he would probably never have been able to recognise his old student and he wouldn't have been able to use him so that he could help Seta and the others inside the TV world.

If he hadn't caught Hiro that day in PC, the circle would still be here in PC and Yamagishi would have found it, realizing what he was trying to do.

The circle's new location was rather risky as well and it had taken quite some strength to re-arrange everything, but that one was certainly safer than the the second circle he had placed at Tatsumi Port Island.

_`It doesn't really matter anymore, though...´_, he thought with indifference, slowly disappearing back into the ground. _`I've almost gathered enough barriers. Those brats might as well find the circles.´_ He grinned. _`I can hardly wait to finally meet you again, Nanako-chan~...´_

~.~.~.~.~

**Author's note: We're currently in the middle in the middle of a phase in the story where Social Links and interactions between the character are taking the spotlight.**

** Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: Don't worry. Just leaving one review every now and then to let me know that you're still reading is more than enough. ;)**


	76. Chapter 75: Talk with Naoto

_**Chapter 75: Talk with Naoto**_

"Sooo..."

Souji, shaken out of his thoughts about what he should quickly prepare for dinner once they got back to university, looked up from his seat in the streetcar that was currently heading towards Tanaba University and stared at Kou who had just addressed him.

One seat row behind them he could hear Yosuke ranting because Teddie had fallen asleep on his shoulder drooling.

"Well, now that you and Yosuke are officially an item, could you, um... well... Would it be possible for you to try and put in a good word for me when talking to Chie-san next time... please?", Kou explained with a hopeful expression on his face.

"... We're not a couple, Kou.", Souji said for what felt like the thousandth time that day, already being tired of defending himself. Even Yosuke who constantly broke out in a screeching fit whenever Kou said the word `couple´ was now far too tired to protest anymore.

" 's okay, dude. Ya don't have to worry.", Kou said and winked at him conspiratorial. "I can keep a secret, you know."

"... Thank you very much.", Souji only sighed and stared back outside the window, everything outside only a blur for him due to the streetcar's rather fast speed.

There was a bit more of companionable silence between the friends before Kou began bugging him anew. "Well, getting back to the topic at hand: Chie-san-"

Souji smashed his head against the window in annoyance.

~.~.~.~.~

Having arrived just before the university's main doors were closed and under the strict eyes of Mr. Bagman who was waiting at the entrance gate while glaring at Souji, Kou and Teddie - but throwing fatherly looks at a disturbed looking Yosuke -, the four friends that were now wandering over the campus didn't really notice the three individuals that were currently exiting the university and coming their way.

"Ah, got back just in time, eh?", Akihiko who was among those three people greeted them with a smile; the other two who were together with them were no other than Dojima and Naoto. Yosuke, Kou and Teddie stopped, looking worriedly from Souji to Dojima, the two men only staring at each other in silence.

Second went by before Dojima threw a questioning glance at Naoto who seemed to confirm the silent question - whatever it was - with a nod, snorting condescendingly.

"Humph!" Dojima nodded at Naoto and Akihiko in parting continued towards the entrance gate, passing the four young men.

"... Uncle Dojima!", Souji finally shouted and whirled around, following the older man.

"Students living on the campus are not allowed to leave at this time of hour.", Dojima simply said and stopped, back turned to Souji. "Breaking that basic rule may lead the evil-doer to becoming a prime suspect in the current murder case.

Akihiko looked slightly confused from Dojima to Souji and finally to Naoto who merely shrugged disinterestedly and went back to the lounges. Wasn't Dojima-senpai Souji's uncle? He had never really had any family, but he certainly knew that relatives were not supposed to act like _that_.

"Uncle, I-", Souji began, but stopped in the middle of the sentence. _**I**__, what, huh? "I'm sorry I was just playing with you! It really wasn't like that!"? Come on, Souji, nobody's going to believe that, __**my dear**__!´_Souji looked to the side.

Dojima stared at Tanaba University's entrance gate for a while - Mr. Bagman had mysteriously disappeared the moment he had spotted Dojima - before he sighed deeply and said: "Listen up, punk. I don't even know if this will be of any interest in you in the first place, but I think you should hear it since you _were_his daycare caretaker for a while, after all." He threw a short glance behind himself, at Souji. "... Yuuta Minami has been found dead in his parent's house." He continued towards the entrance gate.

"... Wha-...?", Souji began, eyes huge now, and it seemed like the world had had suddenly started to turn around and around without end. What did his uncle just-

_Yuuta Minami has been found dead in his parent's house. _

A sickening feeling started spreading throughout his entire body.

_Yuuta Minami has been found dead in his parent's house. _

Yuuta was... dead? But that couldn't b-

_Yuuta Minami has been found dead in his parent's house. _

The sentence was swirling around and around in his head while he groaned and grabbed his head and... laughed in amusement? His eyes widened.

Why was he laughing?

"U... Uncle Dojima...", Souji managed to choke out, his uncle only a blur before his eyes. "So... So the culprit has already killed someone in Inaba! Please, go back and take care of Nanako! Please!"

Dojima suddenly stopped, whole body rigid in an instant, before he continued on wordlessly seconds later.

"Uncle Do-!", Souji tried again, but had to hold a hand before his mouth since bile had started to work its way up his throat. He was slowly losing his balance.

_Yuuta Minami has been found dead in his parent's house. _

Everything around him started turning and he felt Iza-

"P-Partner?", Yosuke asked, rather concerned about Souji's strange behaviour.

"I... I-", Souji choked out, fighting desperately not to empty the contens of his stomach all over the campus. He stared behind himself at the entrance to the lounges and started running a best as he could.

"Souji!", Kou shouted after him and tried to follow him together with other men, but Souji hurriedly closed the door behind him and fastened his steps, nearly overrunning a rather confused looking Naoto, his goal the public toilets where he finally locked himself inside a cabin.

_`Déjàvu...´_, was his last thought before he vomited all over the toilette, laughing like a lunatic all the while between spasms. Having finally emptied the contens of his stomachs, Izanagi suddenly broke out of his body with a deafening scream and looked down upon him in fury, sword at the ready to cut him into little pieces. His eyes got heavier and heavier while darkness started to envelope him...

~.~.~.~

_Yuuta Minami has been found dead in his parent's house. _

With that one thought in mind, Souji slowly woke up from his unconsciousness, only faintly smelling the odor of vomit, as if he would experience everything from another person's body. His whole body felt completely weak, as if he'd just run a marathon. He felt - to say it with Kanji's words - `like shit´ and yet still relieved, because...

_`I don't feel the urge to laugh anymore when I think about Yuuta being dead...´_, he realized and exhaled in relief, looking around inside the cabin.

The Persona Izanagi that had looked like it was going to cut him into pieces shortly before had fainted, had disappeared, like he had already expected.

Souji closed the toilet lid and sat down, his hands supporting his forehead.

This was already the third time that Izanagi had tried to break free, this time with success. The first time had been shortly after they had found the corpse of Patty's roommate. The second time had been when he had thought that Mr. Bagman's eyes had turned yellow. And now this...

"Ugh...", Souji groaned and suppressed a loud yawn. After he had finally felt really awake again when he had gone to the Tajibayaki's, he was now once again tired and beat after what had just happened.

The silver-haired Fool wiped the sweat out of his face before he stood up again, opened the cabin and walked towards the washing basin to rinse his mouth.

Were there any similarities between the three times this had happened now?

He gurgled a few times before he spat out the water and traced over his teeth and palate using his tounge.

_`Still tastes pretty aweful...´_

He drank some more water from the washing basin and starting gurgling anew.

No, the way he looked at it, there really wasn't anything that connected these incidents.

He spat out the water again and decided that his mouth was now as clean as could be before he washed his hands and dried them using the papers nearby.

Maybe this was also a side effect of Philemon's mysterious disappearance? After all, it was said deity that had given him the power to awaken to his Life Energy, unlike Namatame and Adachi who had never been fortunate enough to receive Philemon's blessings as well.

No, he wouldn't be able to reach any conclusions like that.

He sighed. He may just as well threw those incidents with Izanagi into the same category as every other single thing that had happened until and that they knew next to nothing about.

It was just frustrating as hell! More and more strange things happened around him and his friends, and he had no other choice but to continue walking in the darkness, hoping that everything might solve itself once they had caught Ikas - if she even was the real culprit behind everything. And in order to even catch her, they had to wait that Professor Yamagishi's condition got better.

But still... this whole ordeal just got more and more exhausting and... he just felt so damn tired...

All of Souji's thoughts stopped when he left the toilette and saw Naoto who was standing in the hallway, as if she had waited for him.

"Yo...", he only said, not really knowing what he should say to her or how he should address her.

Naoto just let her gaze wander his body up and down, before she nodded in satisfaction and turned around.

Souji tilted his head to the side in confusion. Why had she waited for him here? Had she become worried when she had seen him running past her? But she seemed to really despise him. So then why...?

"... Naoto, wait!", he called after her into the darkness of the corridors, and the young detective really stopped, back turned to him, just like Dojima had done. "Let's just... Let's just talk, please."

The young woman slowly turned around and studied his expression for a moment before she nodded, face set to a grim grimace. "Let us talk.", she agreed and leaned against the lumber-room's door case of which Souji knew that the Velvet Room would be behind it if he went through the door.

Should he just grab her and drag her into the Velvet Room? Maybe Igor and Aigis could talk to her...

But would she even be able to perceive the Velvet Room? Mitsuru had explained to him that she and her friends had been to that room shortly after their talk, but who could say if this had only had happened because Igor or Philemon had wanted it to happen.

And if he were to force her into the lumber-room like that without the Velvet Room appearing, she would probably think he was trying to molest her or something like that.

"So?", Naoto said and dragged him out his thoughts again.

He suppressed another yawn. Damnit, he was so unbelievably tired. Having a serious talk right now was _so_ not on the top of his `favourite-things-to-do-before-bed´ list. He'd rather throw himself onto his soft pillow in his lounge now.

He shook his head. Damnit, he had strayed away from the current main topic again!

"Why...", he began. "Why are you so...?"

"So angry?", Naoto suggested as a fitting end-of-record. Souji nodded. "Shouldn't that be obvious, Seta-senpai?"

"I-"

"You have lied to us all.", Naoto interrupted him. "We thought that Inaba - that _we_ - really meant something to you. But in reality, it was all a farce, a means to strengthen those Social Links!"

"Which I did to save you, the other people whom I had formed bonds with and the rest of Inaba!", Souji tried to explain. "And the time we'd spent together is still the most wonderful thing in my memories! It was never a lie!"

"Oh, so it was nice when you had to spend time with Ai Ebihara or Naoki Konishi?", Naoto asked.

"Huh...? I don't understand what y-"

"Sure, those two Social Links - of course, the other ones as well - are all good people in their hearts. But you can't tell me that you had fun with them right from the start!", Naoto continued, unshaken. "Was it fun to be dragged around from one boutique to the other by a spoiled brat in the beginning? Was it fun to listen to those emo-like speeches by a pale boy who was trying to finally find his place in society? I don't think so! Those people may have been led to the right path of life thanks to you, but it had only happened, because they were potential Social Links that you had to level up! You would have never had to have any reason to approach them at all otherwise, Souji Seta!"

"That's not true!", Souji objected vehemently. _`Liar~!´_

"If it is not true, then prove it!", Naoto demanded. "Give me at least one good reason why I should even consider to think otherwise!"

"That... You...", Souji stammered and stared at her for a while before a thought entered his mind. "Then what about that Minato Arisato guy, huh? He was a Wild Card, just like me! He had to have had his Social Links as well! No, it's even a proven fact since Yamagishi-sensei's Shadow had said herself that Arisato had only used her for his Social Links!"

Souji realized far too late that he had said the wrong thing.

"Don't compare _him_ to someone like _you_!", Naoto shouted at him only a second later. "Minato Arisato was a good and kind boy who would never treat someone else like that just for his personal gains! What gives you the right to talk about him like that!"

"What gives _you_ the right to talk about _me_like that!", Souji yelled right back at her.

"Oh, did you already forget?", Naoto replied, voice ice-cold.

"Forgot what?"

"So you did. Hmph!" The young detective grabbed her hat and started to strangle it, imagining it was Souji's neck.

"Whatever!", Souji snarled. "You hadn't been like that when we had arrived at Tanaba University! Good, you had been a little bit gruff, but not that constantly pissed off like now! And the SMS you had sent me'd sounded like you had been looking forwards to see me again!"

"First of all: People change in over six years! You can't expect them to always act and react the same way! And yes, you're correct.", Naoto said. "I really, really had been looking forward to seeing you again. Yes, in my heart there had already been a certain amount of doubt whether your intentions had been genuine back then, but I had been so happy to see you and everyone else, hoping that you would still be the Souji Seta I had met in Inaba, even without those Social Links!" She snorted. "Of course, there hadn't been any time to ascertain those hopes since the murders had started pretty much right after our arrival, but... those last few months have shown pretty clearly how you think about us! What had happened to Amagi-senpai... how you have accused Hanamura-senpai of being the culprit... how you have treated me... You really are a hypocritical liar, Souji Seta!" She started trembling due to her anger. "And did you even think about how Dojima-san might be feeling about all of this!" Souji tried to get a word in but Naoto just continued on with her tirade. "No, of course not! Something like that is of absolutely no interest to you! But let me tell you this: Dojima-san had been devastated when had learned how how you had not only used him, but also Nanako-chan for your pathetic personal gains! Not only had he been betrayed by Adachi-san - his partner about whom he had thought he could trust implicitly - two times: one time when it had been proven that he was the killer, and one time when he had admitted to have used him for his own Social Links. No, even his nephew - the person that had been like family to him at the end of that one year - had deceived him!

It had taken so long for me to get Dojima-san out of that deep hole of misery he had fallen into! And he wasn't the only one who had suffered: Because Dojima-san had been so depressed all this time, Nanako-chan had suffered from this as well since her father didn't have any time for her anymore and was too busy wallowing in self-pity! You are a pest, Souji Seta!"

"Adachi had Social Links as well?", Souji said, dumbfounded.

"IS THAT ALL THAT MATTERS TO YOU! GO TO HELL, SETA!", Naoto yelled, threw her hat into his face with all the strength she could muster and ran away.

At that same moment Souji felt how something had started to flare up inside him, and an amused smile started to form on his face.

Eyes huge, he punched himself in the face. Why the hell was he laughing?

He slowly slid down to the floor, Naoto's hat in his hands. It seemed he had just now destroyed one of his strongest bonds forever and ever.

He felt grief, anger and - on top of all - fatigue... He was tired... tired due to all that had happened so far - due to everything that had thrown him back like that... And now he was sitting here, all those accusations of one of his former best friends still ringing in his head, and was completely lost.

~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's note: An update? Really? OMG, right?**

**Astrih Konnash: Thank you! =)**


	77. Chapter 76: The Messiah's reveries

_**Chapter 76: The Messiah's reveries**_

While it had been pretty much hot and humid over the last few weeks, the weather suddenly turned into a completely different direction throughout the next five days, and rain was pouring down on Japan.

It had become almost impossible to sleep at night due to the constant rolls of thunder that accompanied the consistent raindrops that fell against windows. It was as if mother earth itself had wrinkled its nose at hearing all those proclamations about how each new summer was becoming hotter and hotter and how there soon would be a much more drastic climate change, and had wanted to prove to humanity that the other extreme could be the case as well.

Streets became little rivers, cellars and one of the university's amphitheatres were flooded - although that one amphitheatre that Mr. Bagman was always teaching inside had only been flooded since some of the students thought that it would be funny to clog up all drains; Mr. Bagman's angry yells could be heard throughout the university for the whole day -, the local zoo even had to evacuate some of their animals so that they wouldn't drown in all that rain.

Having begged for some cooling-down, Japan was now bemoaning their loss of heat. It seemed one could never please humanity in regards of the weather.

But there was also something good about the sudden turn of climate: This semester's exams were drawing nearer and nearer, and with all the rain outside the students of Tanaba University didn't have any other choice but to spend their time studying in their lounges or in the university's huge library.

Thus Souji and his friends could be found sitting constantly together in the library throughout the next days, heads lowered over there books and in deep concentration. Only Naoto couldn't been seen anywhere near them, appearing only for a few seconds to gather some new books for her studies or bringing back old ones before going back to her lounge were she - now that Fuuka had regained consciousness and was recuperating at home - was living all alone.

There was complete silence in the library during those times the friends studied together, except the occasional rustling when a page was turned or pencils or pens scratching over pages, sometimes accompanied by a rather loud POPP when Teddie, who had found his joy in chewing on bubble gum and making huge bubbles that produced that obnoxious sound when popping, decided to sit down with them, bored to death. He was the only one of them who didn't have to fulfill any duties at the university, and since the rain prevented him from wandering through the city and since his internet friend hadn't been online for quite some time now, he had decided to support his friends with his mental solidarity - well, whatever he thought `mental solidarity´ was...

POPP!

"Dude, one more time and you'll be flying through the window over there!", Yosuke snapped when Teddie caused the bubble gum bubble to burst again.

"Shh!", came the librarian's admonishing warning immediately.

Yosuke threw a short `Why-only-me-and-not-that-stupid-bear-as-well?´ glare at her before turning back to his studies with a loud grumble.

"Shh!", the now slightly angry librarian admonished him again.

Yosuke was quiet immediately, not wanting to be thrown out.

Chie was laughing her ass off on the other side of the long table.

Yosuke threw an `Eat-shit-and-die!´ glare at her.

Chie answered by throwing a piece of paper on him, `You-so-gay Hanamura´ written on it.

Hiro fell down from his chair laughing while a distinct `*snrk*´ could be heard from Yukiko's direction.

"STOP GIVING ME NAMES ALL THE TIME!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Minutes later found Souji sitting in his lounge together with a loudly grumbling Yosuke who had just been thrown out of the library, Teddie sitting next to them and glaring since Yosuke had taken away his bubble gum supply, followed by a package of sugar he had been trying to open in secret.

"- and how she always dresses! She's _definitely_a dude, I tell ya!", Yosuke happily started his insulting tirade about Chie.

"Hmhm..." Souji was only party listening to him while going over each DOS command once again. He figured it would be enough to occasionally nod or make a sound of agreement to please the other man.

"And her hair style! I bet it's actually a wig!"

"Hmhm..."

"You think she's trying to hide her non-existent breasts with that ugly green shirt of hers?"

"... Yosuke."

"And did you- what?"

"Close Mouth. Turn face to the book. Study. Profit!", Souji only said. It was slowly starting to become a bit too ridiculous, even for him.

"Tch!" Yosuke begrudgingly turned his gaze to the book he had opened in front of him. "It doesn't work anyway! I know all that music stuff even while asleep, but I just don't get any of that literature crap, dude! Guess I've been that guy's favourite student after exams are over..."

"I guess it's better that way.", Souji opined. "Best to stop now before he considers adopting you!"

Yosuke threw a short glare at him before his eyes softened. He sighed and stared out of the window. "Adopt... huh?"

Souji looked up from his book to him in slight puzzlement. "... Yosuke?"

"I... just had to think about my mother there for a sec.", Yosuke admitted with a slightly sad expression and looked from the rain-soaked window to Souji. "D'you think she's alright?"

"I... think so.", Souji replied.

"You think so?"

"Well, I don't want to make any promises here, but I'm certain that she's fine.", Souji tried to explain. "I mean... there weren't any signs of a kidnapping at all, and nothing has been found so far that would indicate so. Maybe..."

"Yeah?"

"I... Well...", Souji tried to find the right words and looked to the side. _`Maybe his parents had had a big fight and just wanted some time apart from each other...´_, he thought. _`Happens all the time...´_ He remembered how his parents always liked to shout at each other.

Yosuke sighed again, this time a bit more desperate. "I just hope your right.", he said. "I mean... the day I'd left Inaba together with Teddie and gone to university, I hadn't really said the nicest things to her. She was fussing all the time, worried that I've got everything with me, and she'd even tried kissing my cheek!"

Souji could imagine what Yosuke's reaction to that must have been.

"... Without her maybe all of us would have never gotten to spend time like that together again.", Yosuke suddenly said.

"Yeah...", Souji quietly agreed, remembering the first few sentences of the mail he had gotten from Yosuke some months ago.

_- Hey, Partner! Hows it going!_

_I now thhis might sound a bit sudenly and you might just thing `WTF´ when reading tis, but did u ever thing about attending university? -_

Souji had to smirk a bit when he thought about all those spelling mistakes, but was shaken out of his musings when he saw Yosuke's sad expression again.

Yes, without Yosuke's mother none of them would have really thought about attending university - at least not the same one and all at the same time. He had always had that thought in his head, but all of his part-time jobs so far had paid quite nicely, and with his parents constantly moving he just never really had the time to seriously consider the option of attending university.

Yosuke's mother though had suggested one day to her son to enroll at an university and learn the stuff needed to become Junes' next manager. Yosuke, at first not wanting to hear anything about this - what he considered it to be - idiotic idea, had gotten the idea this whole thing would maybe be even kind of fun if his old friends were to agree to enroll as well.

After that everything had slowly played itself out until they were now sitting here.

"Without her we'd never be here now...", Yosuke continued. "Without her maybe all of us would have walked separate paths for the rest of our lives." He stared at the book about famous novelists. "Without her Kou, Patty and Yamagishi-sensei would probably be dead by now since nobody would have been there to rescue them."

That thought really hit home. Yes, if Yosuke's mother hadn't suggested this, those three would probably be dead now. One would really think it to be quiet strange how they had actually arrived shortly before all those incidents had happened at Tanaba University...

~.~.~.~.~

Far away at a place filled with thick, yellow fog Mrs. Hanamura had to sneeze a few times.

"That's the thirteenth time in five minutes now!", the cloaked individual who was watching the giant golden gate together with Elizabeth said to her. "Do something about it before we all end up sick because of you, woman!"

"Tch!" Mrs. Hanamura glared at her and made sure that the next time she sneezed would have the snot fly all over the place. "I'm not sick! Somebody must be talking about me, bitch!"

"Constantly arguing like that will eventually lead to us failing our mission.", Elizabeth admonished the other two.

"You are correct. I apologize.", the cloaked person agreed while Mrs. Hanamura merely wrinkled her nose in annoyance.

~.~.~.~.~

The next day began just as dark and clouded as the previous one, only this time the rain seemed to have stopped for a while. And so some of the students who were absolutely sick of studying by now used this opportunity to go to the city after seminars were over, Mr. Bagman watching them all with deep disgust in his eyes and muttering something about `rotten society´.

"Hmph! Exams are starting in exactly one months!", Naoto grumbled from her seat in the cafeteria while watching the students who had just grabbed something to eat before going to the city.

"Well, a little bit of relaxation can't hurt anyone, right?", Patty tried to pacify her, but fell quiet immediately when she noticed the young detective's glare.

Naoto had been on the verge of exploding and was constantly getting more and more irritable the closer the exams were.

"If I want to relax, I just read a good book.", she huffed a reply. "I can do something for my intelligence that way as well, unlike some people I know."

~.~.~.~.~

`Some people she knew´, like Naoto said, were currently happily kicking away at the rest of the logs Fuuka had once given them for their training.

"Phew!", Chie finally breathed out after she had let off enough steam through the training, and sank down on one of the campus' benches in exhaustion together with Souji. "I thought I was gonna go crazy with studying being the only thing I could do! Thanks for the training, Souji!"

"Don't mention it. I really needed to do some working out as well.", Souji replied, just as sweaty as the brunette. He stared up to the cloudy sky and contemplated how to continue their conversation.

Kou had continued to beg him that he say something nice about him to Chie or at least find out what she thought about him until he had finally caved.

_`Kinda reminds me of how Ai had yelled at me to find out what he thinks of her...´_, he thought. _`Well, as long as it makes him forget about this stupid __**Souji-and-Yosuke-are-a-couple**__ thing, that's fine by me, I guess.´_

He thought about how to go about the situation, nodded and said: "Hey, how about we ask Kou if he'd like to train with us next time? I mean, the more the merrier, right?"

Chie stared at him in confusion before she said: "Is... Is it really that boring, alone with me?"

_`Strike number one!´_

"No, of course not!", he said hastily. "But Kou's an athlete after all! It can't hurt to have someone join us who knows what he's doing. Right?"

"... So I don't know what I'm doing?"

_`Strike number two!´_

"I didn't say that!", Souji protested. "I mean, maybe he could give us some new and practical advice!"

"... About... balls? Kou only plays basketball, after all. This is martial arts we're talking about, Souji."

_`Strike number three, my dear! You're out, loser!´_

Well, seemed like the Chariot Link wasn't going to level up today the way Chie was staring at him now.

"Hah, I bet Gaysuke was reeeaaally disappointed when you told him that you would be training with me today! He probably won't get any studying done without you helping him all the time!", Chie suddenly with cheerful enthusiasm that sounded quite fake. She threw a quick glance at Souji. "... You... told him that you would be spending the day with me today... didn't you?"

Souji just stared. _`She... Is she trying to use me to make Yosuke jealous?´_, he thought in horror.

Good god! This love triangle really was more complicated than he thought. If he didn't watch out, he would certainly end up being the loser here...

~.~.~.~.~.~

"No! Stop! Come baaaaaack!"

Her scream seemed so far away to him, yet he could clearly hear the despair in it. The more he penetrated the darkness, the stronger the sluggish feeling in his stomach region got. And still - if he wanted to protect all those people dear to him, then this was the only chance he had.

_`The power of the Universe, huh...?´_

It was so dark around him by now that he couldn't even make out the hand in front of his eyes, and he was already thinking about turning around and look for another route when suddenly - like lightning - a bright light appeared before him that slowly took a round, slightly egg-like appearance, thousands of thin threads of light attached to it that looked like hands.

He landed in front of this strange object and looked around the place he had reached: Dark, barren, and ledges made of a rock-like substance everywhere - so this was what the moon looked like from the inside...

His gaze wandered back to the entity above him that was stretching all of its threads towards him now, much like an insect that was using its antennae to sense things.

"Nyx..."

But before he could even do anything at all - before he could defend himself or attack in any way - a dark-red current of pure energy escaped the goddess, spreading out within seconds and causing a huge explosion-like corrosion that took him off his feet and seemed to steal each and every power left in his body.

The attacks of Nyx' Avatar just moments before seemed like those of an infant compared to this!

_`Am I... going to die here...?´_

"There's nothing we can do?", he suddenly could hear the scared voice of a child in his ears.

_`Ken-kun...´_

"Don't give up! We have to believe in him!" Another voice, this one older and more aggressive.

_`Akihiko-senpai...´_

"Give him strength! Take my life if you must!"

_`Mitsuru-senpai...´_

A golden light gently rained down from above and engulfed him while he stared up in wonder.

Of course! His friends were still there, protecting him as well! It was far from over!

He grabbed the sword that he had let go of after Nyx' attack and stood up on shaky legs.

Nyx let out a loud scream as if it were angered by the foolish behaviour of this puny mortal who dared to stand up again and continue to defy her, throwing the same explosion-like attack at him that miraculously seemed to miss him.

"Yeah, I'm willing to risk mine, too!"

_`Yukari...´_

"He's going to fight all by himself!"

_`Fuuka...´_

"No, he's not alone! I won't let him die!"

_`Junpei...´_

Golden light rained down upon him again, soothing his wounds.

The grip on his sword strengthened as he climbed up some of the ledges, trying to get nearer to Nyx. Its hands followed his every movement as if they were antennas perceiving him as radio signals.

Having gotten close enough to the goddess, he prepared to jump, sword raised, and rammed it into the egg-like body with all his might. The deity screamed in fury and shoved him away with one of its hands. It threw the same insane attack at him seconds later, but it seemed to have absolutely no effect on him.

His friends were all here right beside him, their powers protecting him...

"Arf! Arf!"

_`Koromaru!´_

"I won't allow this world to be destroyed!"

_`Aigis!´_

"Alright! Let's do this!"

_`Shinjiro-senpai!´_

Golden light engulfed him again while Nyx stretched out all of her hands at once in order to squash him like a bug. But try as it might, the goddess could not touch him at all since the light had now formed some sort of shield around him. The deity, whose wound that he had caused with the sword was now healed again, screamed in anger, but all of its attacks were futile.

"Immortality...", he mumbled, gaze lingering on the egg-like body, before looked at the card that Igor had created with the help of all of his Social Links. "Universe vs. immortality: This could be interesting..."

A blue light engulfed him completely moments later, spreading farther and farther, taking everything inside it, even the loudly screeching Nyx...

~.~.~.~.~

He frantically looked around this sandy wasteland, trying to find the thing that would surely help him.

_`Just were is it hiding...?´_

He turned around in slight surprise as he felt someone approaching, and noticed that stupid robot and its friends coming down from upstairs.

_`Tch!´_

Annoyed, he ran through one of the many doors of this place...

~.~.~.~.~

"Trismegistus? You damn copycat!", he could hear that idiot Junpei yell, and he smiled in amusement.

_`More~...´_ He could practically feel the power surging within him.

"H-how can he use Kala-Nemi?", Ken Amada could be heard shouting in surprise when he changed from the Persona Trismegistus to Kala-Nemi and threw a Hamaon attack at Mitsuru Kirijo.

_`Give me moooore!´_

"No! Artemisia?", the red head shouted when he changed to her Persona and happily knocked out Akihiko with a Bufudyne attack.

_`It's all thanks to you that we were born! It's only polite that one of us finishes you off!´_ More and more power flowed through his body. If only that stubborn key weren't resisting so much against giving him all that sweet, tasty energy...

He let out a choked scream when that disgusting robot named Aigis changed to the Persona Surt and caused massive damage to him.

_`Damn... humans...´_

~.~.~.~.~

He awoke due to muted and dull voiced from far away.

"... So this really is the gate?", a female voice that seemed familiar to him spoke.

"Yes.", another second female spoke.

_`Elizabeth...´_, he recognized the second speaker.

"So... what exactly is it we have to do... to free him?", the first speaker asked, slightly unsure. "Margaret mentioned something about... about using Yosuke to-"

_`Yosuke...? Who is that?´_, he wondered, still feeling dizzy from his long slumber, and shook his head. _`Fools... If you want to help me, bring me the key!´_ He decided to continue to listen to their conversation instead of ranting.

"That's what it will amount to in the end, yes.", Elizabeth answered the other woman's question that he had only partly listened to.

"Minato...", the other woman mumbled sadly.

_`... Minato?_´, he thought, confused. _`But he's-´_ He looked around the place he had woken up, and recognized the back side of a golden gate in front of him. _`Oh...´_ Of all the places to have ended up after being defeated by SEES...

He was slightly startled when he senses something quietly wriggling over the ground. Slowly turning around, he could see several silver threads moving his way, their owner having been awoken due to the noises outside as well. _`Sorry, Nyx, but I'm not here to dine with you!´_

There was a loud bang when he released several waves of energy from his body, and the goddess quickly retracted its hands and went back into its deep slumber.

"M-Minato?", the woman whose voice he knew, but didn't quite recognize asked from the other side, a bit scared now due to the sudden loud noise.

_`Hmm...´_ He quickly thought about his options. As long as the seal was intact, he didn't have any chance of entering the other side again, and he would be trapped over here forever.

Though it seemed that lady luck had smiled upon him since two idiots had approached the gate in order to save Minato Arisato whose soul served as the seal. If he were to use the method those two fools apparently had to free Minato for himself and were to escape instead of Minato, he would gain another chance to finally realize his goals.

A malicious grin appeared on his face while opening his mouth at the same time, pleading with a fake hoarse voice: "Help me!... Please, help me!" He knocked against the gate a few times.

"Minato! So you're really in there!", the woman shouted.

_`Yesss, that's good!´_, he thought gleefully. If everything worked out the way he hoped, those two retards would get him out of here in no time. _`And you'll be the first ones to die once I'm out of here~...´_

He would at least show them that much kindness.

He was so amused and happy, that he could just grab a teddy bear and squeeze it until it burst asunder into thousand little pieces! ... Now wait just a minute? A teddy bear? Why would he want a-? He looked at his own body and realized only now how huge the gate actually seemed. _`Oh...´_

~.~.~.~.~

He was rudely woken up from his peaceful slumber when he felt something unknown to him enter his domicile. His thread-like arms - he had finally managed to copy that technique from Nyx! - quietly wriggled through the darkness of his eternal prison and eagerly explored that something that had found its way here.

_`It feels almost like-!´_

_"Is someone there?"_, Minato could be heard asking the next moment hopefully from within his prison inside the gate.

_"Who's there?"_, the newcomer asked in confusion.

_`Shit! If Minato tells anybody what's going on here-´_, he thought in slight panic and hurriedly said: _"Nobody..."_He let darkness seep out of his body that was supposed to drown out Minato's presence as quickly as possible. _"Nobody is here..."_

_"And who... are you?"_, the newcomer asked.

He could feel a slight confusion in the newcomer's voice, as if he thought his voice sounded a bit strange.

The darkness oozing out of his body spread out more and more.

_"No... Please, don´t... You can´t..."_, Minato's soul who had hoped to finally warn something about the danger lurking here pleaded.

_"Please tell me who you are!"_, the intruder pleaded with Minato.

_`Oh, no you don't!´_, he thought, fury welling up inside him, and hurried to cover everything with his darkness.

_"I... m..."_, Minato managed to choke out, the light nearly completely swallowed by darkness. _"... sato..."_

The room was now completely covered by his dark presence, Minato completely suppressed.

He could hear those three fools who were trying to free Minato knocking against the door. The noise seemed to have alerted them.

_"I don´t like to repeat myself: There is nobody here..."_, he spoke to the intruder while his arms continued to quietly surround him, sniffing at him in curiosity. How did this person manage to enter this place even though the gate was still sealed? Had he, just like himself, died and ended up over here? _"How did a fool like you even manage to reach this place?"_, he finally voiced his mental musings.

_"... What do you mean?"_, the intruder asked, confusion evident in his voice.

So this person didn't know the answer to that question either. Time to take a closer look at things...

Several of those arm-like threads fused together to a giant hand made of darkness that grabbed the intruder and lifted him up. The person tried to break free, but he didn't stand any chance against the supernatural power that had grabbed him.

_"Hmm..."_, he said, lost in thought, presenting his face to the intruder as a grotesque grimace on the ground, eyes glowing yellow. He took a closer look at the intruder and recognized him as Souji Seta who he often watched together with his idiotic friends. _"I see... a bearer of the Wild Card... a Fool..."_

So a Fool could be drawn to the presence of another Fool? Were they destined to meet at least once in their pitifully short life? Interesting... But still - that didn't explain how this Fool had managed to get here.

_"But still... even though you two are connected with each other to a certain extent... you shouldn´t be able to manage to reach this place... So how...?"_, he said and thought as hard as he could, looking away from the Fool. The only possible way for him to get her was to gather his two counterparts. But... only his Body Energy counterpart had managed to escaped to the other world. So were was the other part, the Life Energy counterpart - the key? Did the Fool have it with him? He sniffed at Souji's body immediately. _`Hmm... Unfortunately, no...´_

_"What... the hell... are you..."_, Souji Seta managed to choke out.

Slightly puzzled as to why the silver-haired Fool was gasping like that, he stared up at the human and noticed that he had accidentally started to choke the human.

_`I can't kill him, if I want to get out of here, but I can at least scare the crap out of him...´_, he thought in amused, showed his sharp teeth and grinned._"You ask what I am? Hah... hahaha..."_, he chuckled. _"I am one... but I am also all... I am the end..."_

_"The... end?"_, Souji repeated and gasped, the grip around him tightening even more.

_"Some might even call me... the `__**Messiah**__´, foolish child of men..."_, he answered in self-adoration and strengthened his hold some more. _`Hmm... The fool seems a little green in the face... I wonder if he's getting enough air? Eeheeheehee...´_ He stared at Souji who was desperately trying to break free. _`Time for a little encore!´_He suddenly let go of the silver-haired Fool and opened his mouth as wide as he could, like he was going to swallow the now falling Souji.

_"No!"_, Souji screamed in panic.

Centimetres before his mouth he could the Fool and started squashing him again.

_"Wha... What...?"_, the Fool groaned, hurting all over.

_"Don't you understand?"_, he chuckled. _"You´re merely a toy for me, just like everything else in this pathetic world of ants... Toys I might __**accidentally**__... break... Tee hee hee..."_

_"A toy..."_, the silver-haired Fool repeated.

_`Once more!´_, he thought with glee in his eyes and let go of the loudly screaming Souji anew, only to catch him once again and finally set him down nex to him on the ground.

_"You're... letting me go?"_, Souji asked with disbelief in his voice, like he couldn't belief that he was actually still alive.

_"But of course."_, he replied. _"You´re an especially valuable toy that I can´t kill just yet..." `I don't have any other choice, if I want to get out of here, retard...´_, he thought at the same time.

_"Valuable?... What do you mean?"_, the Fool wanted to know.

He really wanted to laugh right now. That idiot really had no clue whatsoever how much he was actually helping him each time he defeated the Shadow of a kidnapped person!

"... Partner?", he could suddenly hear someone shouting from far away. He identified that voice as Yosuke Hanamura.

"Senpai! Senpai, please wake up!"

That was Rise Kujikawa's voice!

But how was he able to here those voices? He stared at the Fool in thought and realized that some of his silver threads were still connected to the silver-haired man. Of course, since he was still connected to him, he could also hear the voices his body was hearing the human world.

"Yo, Senpai! Open your eyes already!"

_"It seems you´re slowly regaining consciousness..."_, he said to Souji who had vanished the next moment just like that. _`You're really lucky! I wish I could get out of here like that...´_

He threw a glance at the gate behind him where those three idiots were probably standing again.

_`Oh well, just a few more months, then I'll finally outside as well~...´_

~.~.~.~.~

He suddenly woke up from his dream about past events and looked around in puzzlement. He had definitely heard something...

He yawned, and stretched languidly.

_`Ugh! I could just vomit after a dream like that!´_, he thought with slight anger. He hated having to relive those events of his past in his dreams. It was bad enough to have to live through those degrading events one. He didn't need dreams like that!

... But he could definitely filter something out of them: "I have become more and more corrupted over the time...", he observed. And that... made him slightly happier again. He looked at the gate behind him. "Wouldn't you agree, Minato-kun?"

No answer from the gate.

"... So this is your last answer, sister?", a male voice could be heard asking from the other side of the gate.

So the people on the other side had woken him up with their annoying babbling. How rude!

"Yes, Theodore.", he could hear Elizabeth saying.

"So I can take this as a declaration of treachery against Master Igor and Master Philemon?", the male whose name was Theodore asked.

"Indeed.", the cloaked person replied.

"And get the hell out of here!", Mrs. Hanamura snarled at him.

"... As you wish.", the man named Theodore said after a moment of silence. "It is regrettable, but this is the path you have chosen. We have no other choice but to accept this. But let me give you one final warning: Once you are completely broken and standing in front of death's door, you can no longer hope to obtain any form of salvation from Master Philemon."

"Philemon's days are already numbered.", the cloaked person simply replied.

"And now scram!", Mrs. Hanamura snapped.

"Farewell.", Theodore said, disappearing the next moment.

_`Hmm... Interesting...´_, he only thought before yawning again. He turned around and walked to the sphere of light through which he could watch the silver-haired Fool and his friends. _`Let's see if there's anything interesting on TV, shall we...´_

~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: If you don't remember the scene between Souji and whoever that thing is: It was when Souji became unconscious after summoning Izanagi during his battle against Mitsuru and Koromaru (chapter 46).**

**Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed once again! =) I hope I can continue to post new chapters at a steady pace now once again. ^^;**


	78. Chapter 77: Yuuta's worst nightmare

_**Chapter 77: Yuuta's worst nightmare**_

Yuuta Minami was, when he finally regained consciousness after his long slumber, surrounded by thick, relentless fog that was enshrouding the whole place where he had woken up.

"Where...?", he mumbled, confused, and started shaking the next moment with nausea when he remembered how that old man that had suddenly appeared in his room had started touching him without his consent. With shaky hands he felt down his body and noticed that he was wearing his clothes again and that they weren't ripped to shreds anymore. Had he just dreamed the whole thing? The last thing he could remember was the old man talking about a `Miki´ while choking him.

He looked around the place he was currently at. The yellow fog made it nearly impossible for him to see even the hand in front of his eyes, but he thought he could make out some tombstones around him. He wandered - bare-footed - over the moss-like ground and studied some of the graves.

"Manemiro Terafudo...", he read from one of them.

Terafudo... Wasn't that one of the children his parents had been recently talking about? That child's corpse had been found a few days ago in Hokkaido. But why...?

He studied a few other of the hundreds of graves, his eyes growing larger and larger by the minute. On this graveyard - it was a graveyard, wasn't it? - all the children that had been killed over the last few months lay buried here!

He took a few steps backwards from the grave he stood currently in front of, stumbled and fell to the ground. Hastily, he stood up again ran through this nightmare graveyard, frantically looking for the exit.

But no matter how far he ran, the alleys made of tombstone didn't seem to end at all.

Finally, after about ten minutes of running, he sank down to the ground, trying to catch his breath, and let his gaze linger on a tombstone. `Manemiro Terafudo´ was written on it.

Fear started to well up inside Yuuta as he desperately looked up at the sky. He had been running straight ahead this whole time and he had ended up at that grave again. What was going on here? He just wanted to go back home!

After a short moment of catching his breath and trying to calm himself down again, the boy stood up once more, his feet feeling ice-cold now due to running over the cold moss, and continued to wander through the graveyard. Thinking logically, there just _had_ to be an exit somewhere around here.

He ran and ran as fast as his legs would carry him through this place, his body feeling more and more tired, until he collapsed once again.

`Manemiro Terafudo´ was written on a tombstone near him, and, annoyed and frustrated, he hit the ground with his fists, shouting furiously. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw something wince a little bit away from him.

"... Wh-who's there?", he asked into the eerie silence of the graveyard, but didn't get an answer. Yuuta hesitated for a moment, before he slowly but bravely walked to where he had seen that sudden movement.

He stopped in horror, though, when he recognised the person that was sitting on a larger stone, hands on his knees, and his head on his hands: It was the man that had attacked him in his room!

Yuuta slowly walked backwards, stumbling against one of the tombstones in the process, and stopped dead in his tracks when the man suddenly looked up and stared at him through the yellow fog.

Yuuta gulped. Would he... attack him again? But the boy startled when he noticed the seemingly absent look the old man threw at him before staring into the distance once again, without any emotion at all.

... Was that the same person that had suddenly been inside his room?

Yuuta just stood there for a while, indecisive, before he took several steps towards the old man. "... Excuse me?", he finally said meekly when he stood in front of the old man who seemed so much larger than him due to sitting on that large stone.

The old man let his gaze slowly wander through the graveyard before his gaze, so devoid of any emotion, landed on Yuuta.

The both of them just stared at each other for a moment before the old man opened his mouth and spoke with a voice that sounded as if he hadn't spoken a word in ages: "... You're alive."

"Um... Y-yes...", Yuuta replied and scratched his head in thought. How was he supposed to answer that anyway? Of course he was alive... right?

"One of his?", the man suddenly asked.

"N... No.", Yuuta replied hesitantly. _`Who is he talking about?´_

"Kashim?"

"N... No.", Yuuta answered again. _`Who is Kashim?´ _Yuuta stared at the haggard-looking man in front of him. How long had he been sitting here? And why did he look just like that man that had suddenly been in his room?

"Miki...", the man suddenly mumbled and sadly hid his face behind his hands.

_`Miki...? That guy had been saying that name as well!´_, Yuuta thought, hesitated for a moment and then said: "Excuse me! Do... Do you know where we are?"

"Inside him...", was his only answer.

"Um... Huh?" Yuuta looked at him in confusion. "Wh-what's your name?"

The old man was once again staring off into the distance, showing no emotion whatsoever. "Bagman...", he finally answered after a while. "Yosufu... Bagman..."

"Um... M-my name is Yuuta Minami.", Yuuta introduced himself, a little bit irritated that the man was looking at anything but him now once again. "Do you know how, well... how I can get out of here... Bagman-san?"

The man named Mr. Bagman slowly looked at him again. "... Out... of here?", he repeated.

"Yes, exactly! I want to get out of here!", Yuuta agreed and nodded. "You want to get out as well, don't you?"

"Out...", Mr. Bagman mumbled. "... To where Miki is?"

"Yeah, sure! We can get out of here together and go to Miki!", Yuuta said. "Just tell me how to find the exit, and I'll help you out!"

Mr. Bagman only stared at him before his body started shaking a bit. "... There is no exit.", he said after a moment.

"But-", Yuuta started.

"There is no exit!", Mr. Bagman interrupted, his voice shaky and his eyes moist as if he was about to cry. He suddenly started clawing at the stone he was sitting on, and that sudden movement made Yuuta take a few hesitant steps away from him. "Miki...", Mr. Bagman mumbled longingly. "Had to protect them... So many evil things out there..." His hands tightened their grip on the stone until they started bleeding. "... Had to... destroy... rip apart..." He started looking like a lunatic more and more. "So many bad people... had to punish... Didn't know why I... Everything sealed away in the diary... And... And then..." His bloody hands finally let go of the stone, and he grabbed his face with them, it, too, become painted with red. "That woman in my garden... She was innocent...", he stammered, his eyes wide with panic - the first real emotion he was showing. "He... He had- He had forced me... I didn't want to..." His gaze wandered to Yuuta, willing him to understand. "I... I didn't have any choice! I sealed everything away so that I would never...! But he...!" He jumped up and started walking towards the scared looking boy. "He forced me, really! I didn't want t-" He stopped and fell to the ground in front of Yuuta, writhing on the ground as if in pain.

"Wh-who is he?", Yuuta asked, completely confused.

"A Shadow... The true self... He is me...", Mr. Bagman whimpered. "That woman... she was only 19 years old... I didn't want to... but he... he wanted me to... NO!"

He suddenly jumped up, and Yuuta had to close his eyes in horror and disgust: A bloodcurdling sound could be heard at the graveyard when Mr. Bagman rammed his head against the stone he had been sitting on. Groaning, the old man sank to the ground.

"B-Bagman-san!", Yuuta shouted, scared, and ran towards the old man who was now laying on the ground, blood everywhere.

"I... I never wanted this...", Mr. Bagman stammered, tears streaming down his face and mixing with all that red. "That's why I had given them away years ago... That's why I had convinced Takeba to destroy the lab... But... But in the end..." He stopped and started to weep.

"Bagman-san...", Yuuta tried again.

"I am sorry...", Mr. Bagman was mumbling now and took the startled boy in his arms, like a father soothing his son. "I'm sorry... Yuuta..." His tears trailed down the boy's clothes now. "It's all my fault... all my fault... I... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, Bagman-san! Everything's going to be okay! It-"

"... my fault... All my fault... I'm sorry... sorry..."

"W-we'll find a way outta here, Bagman-san! Everything's going to be alright..."

"No exit... trapped here... forever... a wonder that you're not asleep... I'm sorry..."

"... Asleep?", Yuuta repeated and stared at the graves around them, an uncomfortable feeling in his gut. "Those children buried here... Are they `asleep´?"

"Yes...", Mr. Bagman answered sadly, and Yuuta had to take a deep breath at that. "You had to be asleep as well... but you're not..." He questioningly stared at the boy in front of him before his face took on a look as if he had found out why Yuuta wasn't lying in his grave like all the other children. "I see... You will be the catalyst..."

"Catalyst?", Yuuta repeated.

"When he is finished with all his preparations and ready to strike... one of his victims will be the catalyst to... focus all the souls of those dead children into one being... and Miki will... will..." He stopped again. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Yuuta just stared at the old man. He was going to be used as some catalyst for... for whatever it was that was going on here. He looked around the graveyard. As far as he could tell, there were hundreds of graves here. And he was going to be the catalyst for all those souls? He... He had to get out of here as fast as possible!

~.~.~.~.~

The second round of training between Souji and Chie hadn't really been the best one now that Chie seemed to think that Souji didn't really want to spend time with her and would rather have Kou do it. That was why he was so startled when the Chariot Social Link leveled up anyway after Chie had awkwardly thanked him for training with her that day.

_`She's probably feeling guilty because she's using me to make Yosuke jealous!´_, Souji mused with a side glance at Chie while the both of them were wandering back to the lounges, holding their towels over their heads as protection against the rain that had started to pour down over Tokyo once again. Souji startled slightly when the corners of his mouth started to take on an amused, slightly evil smile, and hurriedly let out the yawn he had been trying to suppress instead.

Chie chuckled in amusement next to him. "Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel, too.", she said. "I could just fall down into my bed and sleep. But nooooo, that's not going to happen because of those stupid exams!"

"I think the others are feeling like that as well.", Souji said. "Like Teddie always says: `Just grin and bear it´." He stretched a bit, the feeling of being wide awake he had when training now completely gone once again. He felt dead tired. "We'll be having a semester break shortly after exams are over, fortunately. Then we'll be able to sleep as much as we like."

"Hmm..." Chie just stared at the ground.

"What's wrong?", Souji asked her and stopped walking.

"Hmm?" Chie hadn't noticed that the silver-haired Fool had stopped walking, and so she looked rather confused when Souji wasn't next to her anymore. "Oh...", she said when she saw Souji behind her. "Well... it's just..." She looked to the side. "My parents want me to go back to Inaba during the break..."

"Well, that's okay, isn't it?", Souji said and shrugged. "I've overheard Kanji and Naoto talking, and those two will be going back to Inaba as well during that time."

Chie let out a loud *SNRK*, an exact copy of Yukiko's chortle. It seemed those two were rubbing off of each other more and more. "Kanji really managed to have a talk longer than five seconds with Naoto? Hah!"

"Yeah, quite surprising, isn't it?", Souji admitted and had to smile as well. "But it seems those two have been getting along those last few days quite well. ...I think Kanji's ready to just settle for friendship with her. That's why Naoto's probably letting him near her all of a sudden..."

"Oh...", Chie only said in pity.

"But Kanji and Naoto's relationship's not the actual topic here, isn't it?", Souji returned to the problem at hand.

"Yeah...", Chie agreed and let out a deep sigh. "It's about Yukiko." She stared at Souji. "You know about her current condition. The stuff with her parents and all that..." Souji nodded grimly. "I just..." She sighed again. "I feel bad about leaving her here, all alone, you see? I feel like a big asshole, wanting to go back to Inaba during the break."

"Chie..."

"She may be the old Yukiko we all know to the outside world, but at night she often sits there in front of her writing table and just stares off into the distance.", Chie continued. "It's not only the argument with her parents that wearing her down. The fact that she's lost the ability to summon her Persona and can't visit the TV world together with us anymore is a huge problem for her as well. You should have seen her when I had told her about Kanji facing his Shadow and managing to evolve his Persona! She was devastated! I bet she had been think, `Why Kanji-kun, and not me?´..."

_`Yeah...´_, Souji silently agreed._`It really must have been a slap to her face that Kanji had been able to handle his Shadow's new appearance while she didn't manage to get her new Shadow back under control...´_

"Whenever I see Yukiko like that...", Chie continued. "... I just can't help but want to protect her from everyone and everything! I mean, we're best friends since we were just little! My conscience is running ragged! `I have to be strong for the both of us´! `I have to protect her, no matter what´! And... and... Welll... You now..." She kicked a pebble to the side in slight frustration. "That's exactly how I had acted back then in Inaba: Play the lone wolf and don't depend on your friends! Do everything yourself! Be strong for everyone else!" She ruffled the few hairs that weren't protected by the towel in self-loathing. "And that just makes me question myself again and again: `Who deserves to have their Shadow kick their ass more, Yukiko or me?´..."

"But it's completely natural to want to support a friend when their feeling down!", Souji interrupted her. "It's not wrong to think like that at all, Chie!"

"Y... You think so?", Chie asked, indecisive. "It's just... Well... I'm scared to fall back into my old behaviour and become a burden to everyone else!" She kicked another pebble a little bit to hard. It flew through the air and bounced against a window. "Oops!", Chie shouted, startled about herself, but fortunately the window hadn't sustain any permanent damage. "Whatever, right? Guess I'll just have to train that much harder; not only my body, but also my mind!"

"And I will be there to help!", Souji said, nodding, and continued to walk towards the lounges before they got completely soaked.

"Thanks, Souji!", Chie thanked him with a smile and followed him through the rain.

When the two friends reached the entrance to the lounges, they were more than a bit puzzled as to why Teddie was lying on the ground, snoring loudly.

"Uh... Teddie?", Souji asked tentavily and nudged the blond Shadow softly a few times.

"Hrmm... Yukiko-san... be more gentle, please...", Teddie mumbled with a rather dirty sounding voice and drooled.

"Grrr!", Chie snarled and attacked the perverted bear with one of her Galactic Punts that made him jump up and scream in agony in an instant.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Critical Hit! Teddie's down!", he wailed, jumping around on one foot before he lost his balance and fell back to the ground.

"... Hope you had a nice dream, you perverted bear!", Chie snapped. "I thought you had started to focus on Patty-chan alone, but you still get all worked up about other women as well!"

"Ch-chie-chan...", Teddie sniffed, slowly stood up and took a few steps away from here.

"Why were you even sleeping here on the floor in the first place, Teddie?", Souji asked him.

"Um, well...", Teddie stammered, threw a short glance at Chie to make sure she didn't hit him again and continued: "You had been away after eating so fast that you didn't get to hear what that Akihiko guy who had come to our table a few minutes after you had left had to say."

"... I don't think Akihiko would appreciate you talking about him as `that Akihiko guy´, Teddie.", Souji opined.

"Oh... sorry...", Teddie said without meaning it. "Anyway, Akihiko said for us all to meet at the university's entrance."

"He did?", Souji asked.

"Yeah, he did. I'd wanted to inform you two, but you had been bearn- uh, training so nicely that I didn't want to disturb you! I didn't want to ruin Sensei's chance to score with Chie-chan, after all! Guess I fell asleep while waiting..."

Souji stared at Teddie in disbelief while Chie looked quite satisfied. Souji just gawked at her. She knew that Teddie was going to tell Yosuke which she apparently hoped would make him jealous! Souji rolled his eyes.

Kou wanted Chie. Chie wanted Yosuke. Yosuke wanted Ikas. And Ikas wanted...?

Well, whoever it was that Ikas wanted, _Souji Seta_ just wanted to be left the hell out of that love chaos!

"What exactly did Akihiko-san have to say?", he asked the Shadow.

"Well, he said that Mitsu-chan said that we should all meet at the entrance tonight since Fuuka-chan is feeling better again.", Teddie replied.

"So Yamagishi-sensei's alright again?", Chie asked.

"Hmhmm!" Teddie nodded and took green glasses out of his trouser pocket. "And I've already got a beary big surprise ready for Fuuka-chan! With her elemental shields as protection nothing can happen to us anymore! A woman that will protect little old me, no matter what... My little bear hearts feels soooo much warmer all of a sudden!" He let out a dreamy sigh.

"Yeah, yeah, how nice, Romeo! I guess that means we'll be seeing each other tonight again! I'm going to take a shower now!", Chie said, waved a goodbye at Souji and headed towards her lounge.

"May I shower wi-"

"Don't even think about it!", Chie snapped and threw her towel at him with such force that he - already wounded from the Galactic Punt - fell to the ground and blacked out.

_`And now Teddie's really `down´...´_, Souji thought while shaking his head, and dragged the unconscious Shadow back to their lounge.

~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Okay, two reviewers wrote they were confused by the last chapter so I'm going to try and explain it without giving away spoilers.**

**The first part of the last chapter shouldn't really be what confused them. It's just everyday life at the university.**

**After the training between Souji and Chie, the chapter switches to certain events of the past that had happened in Persona 3. Someone is dreaming of all those events. Everything that's happening is those dreams are things he has experienced (you may now wonder how he it is he could have experienced the fight between Minato and Nyx, but that's part of what I don't want to give away just yet).**

**The last paragraph of the chapter has that person who had been dreaming wake up all of a sudden to an argument between Elizabeth and Theodore who is trying one last time to stop her and her two companions from whatever it is they are planning.**

**I hope that explains it. ;)**

**Thank you all for your reviews, everyone!**


	79. Chapter 78: Joyride in the limousine

_**Chapter 78: Joyride in the limousine**_

The rain had stopped that day and had started again around late noon was now like a torrent over Japan, maybe even worse than before, when Souji, Yosuke, Teddie and Hiro - who had met the other three on his way through the corridors - were wandering towards the entrance gate of Tanaba University. Several of the investigation team's members were already gathered there and watched Akihiko and Mr. Bagman arguing rather heatedly.

"Rules are there to be followed, Sanada-san!", the old man growled and wrinkled his nose in disdain. "No student that lives in our lounges has the right to be outside university at this hour!"

"I am quite aware of that, but this is an exception, Bagman-san.", Akihiko replied calmly, although with obvious anger in his voice.

"If you make an exception for this rebellious bunch, the rest of the brats will soon demand such exceptions as well!", Mr. Bagman protested relentlessly.

"May I remind you again who it is that currently has the final say in matters concerning Tanaba University?", Akihiko finally raised his voice and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Mr. Bagman stared at him for a short while before he snorted and turned around. "For now at least..." _`You have disappointed me severely, my dear...´_

"... What did you say?", Akihiko asked him suspiciously.

"Nice evening to you, too, _director_.", Mr. Bagman merely said, threw a short meaningful glance at Hiro and hobbled away on his cane, towards his office.

"Tch!", Akihiko growled low in throat.

"Yo, can't you just fire that asshole?", Kanji asked beside him.

"Unfortunately, no.", Akihiko sighed. "It really angers me to say, but Yosufu Bagman is the most capable Literature Professor this university has to offer. If we were to fire him, we would get loads of problems with that subject... and he knows it exactly!"

"I bet he'd much rather he were director!", Chie who was there together with Yukiko huffed in disgust.

"Yo!", Yosuke greeted the others and stared at Kanji. "Where's Kou?"

"Had to go to the toilette.", Kanji replied and shrugged. "That guy has some weak bladder, lemme tell ya. 's really pissing me off at night, the way he has to go to every few hours!" He threw a suspicious glare at Yosuke. "... Why exactly are ya associating me with Kou?"

"Uh, weeeeell...", Yosuke stammered and took a few steps back before his eyes widened in shock. "Did you... just use an intellectual word in your last sentence?"

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

"Kanji, there are people who are trying to sleep around here. Please be a little more considerate.", Naoto who arrived at the gate together with the rest of the gang butted into the conversation.

"Ooooooh, `Kanji´, huuuuh?", Rise giggled next to her.

Naoto merely answered by throwing a death glare at her.

"Where is Yamagishi-sensei, Akihiko-san?", Patty asked.

"Hmm?", Akihiko hummed, still staring after Mr. Bagman, and now looked at her questioningly. "Oh! She's been resting at home. She'll be joining us on our ride in a bit."

"Our ride?", Souji repeated curiously.

"Well-", Akihiko began, but stopped when two rather bright floodlight-like lights fell upon them.

Shielding their hands with their eyes, the friends stared through the light at the rather large limousine that illuminated the whole campus.

"Wooow!", Teddie shouted in enthusiasm. "Now that's what I call a long car!"

One of the limousine's doors opened and out stepped Mitsuru Kirijo who motioned for them to get in.

"... We're going to take a ride in that?", Yosuke asked, being rather surprised about the sudden appearance of such an expensive car, but at the same time excited about being able to be driven around in it.

Akihiko only nodded shortly, threw a last glance at the door behind which Mr. Bagman had disappeared, and stepped towards the limousine.

"Cool! I've never been inside a limousine before!", Chie shouted happily and followed immediately.

"Well, it's nothing special, actually.", Souji who was next to follow said and shrugged.

"You've been in a limousine before, Senpai?", Rise who was clinging to him like usually asked curiously.

"... Uh..." Souji stared straight ahead, a little bit of sweat starting to form on his forehead. _`Shit! Shit! SHIT!´_ "Well, my father had to deal with some very rich business partners sometimes. They often wanted to meet the whole family and offered us a ride in their limousines."

"Ah, I see! So Senpai's something akin to a celebrity already himself!", Rise giggled.

_`Niiice save, my dear!´_, Souji thought, relieved, and... smiled maliciously? Startled, he immediately stopped with it and looked around hastily to see if anyone had noticed it. Apparently, none except Naoto who was now glaring at him rather intensely seemed to have noticed something. _`Oh boy... Just the right person... Annoying little brat, I must say!´_He startled. What the hell was wrong with him these last few days? He was starting to sound like Bagman! Annoyed, he shook his head and got into the dimly lit limousine where Fuuka, Junpei, Ken and Koromaru were already sitting and waiting for them.

"We can leave.", Mitsuru spoke into a small speaker once the last person had entered the limousine that started moving a few seconds later.

There was a moment of silence in which everyone present just stared at each other while Tanaba University became smaller and smaller behind them until it vanished over the horizon. They were now driving through the nightlife of Tokyo.

"Well then-", Naoto began.

"Can I have some of those?", Teddie interrupted her excitedly, having noticed the small snack bar immediately under the speaker.

"Of course.", Mitsuru answered and nodded.

"Yay!", Teddie, Hiro and Patty shouted in unison, the three of them jumping at the pretzel sticks, potato chips and soda.

"*Snrk*!", Yukiko chortled.

"But hands off the alcohol!", Akihiko warned them. "We need you sober tonight!"

"There's none inside, Akihiko.", Mitsuru assured him.

"Aww, not even for when were done and ready to party?", Junpei pouted.

"The last time there had been some alcohol involved, you had been dancing on a table half-naked, trying to kiss Yukari-san, Junpei-san.", Ken reminded him.

"That... uh... Weeell...", Junpei stammered, now beet-red.

"Yukari...", Mitsuru sighed.

"Still no news about her?", Akihiko who didn't really get any news from the other SEES members due to his work at the university asked.

"Unfortunately, no.", Mitsuru answered. "And they just won't let some of my men examine the corpse they found. If only they would, I could make absolutely sure if it's her or not..." She grumbled a little bit to herself, then suddenly leaned over a blushing Akihiko and Fuuka and took some pretzel sticks as well.

"Were are we headed exactly?", Patty asked, mouth full of food, trying to steer the conversation away from Yukari.

"To a desolate area owned by the Kirijo Group.", Mitsuru answered and sat back down. "But before we come to that, I believe you all have some questions for Yamagishi, right?"

"Indeed.", Naoto agreed and turned to Fuuka. "Yama- What exactly are you doing over there?" She threw a disapproving glare at Teddie and Hiro who were hovering in front of the window, making faces at the passersby outside who couldn't see them due to the windows being tinted.

Yukiko, following Naoto's gaze, fell over a blushing Kou and Rise, laughing her ass off.

"Yeah, you're definitely in the Amagi fan club...", Chie growled at Kou, overprotective of her best friend.

Kou stared at her in utter horror, flapping his lips.

"Chrm, chrm..., Naoto cleared her throat soundly, having been interrupted for the second time now and suppressing a screaming fit.

Souji sighed quietly. _`It's my fault Naoto's like that...´_, he thought miserably. _`But it's easier to hate her that way, my dear!´_ He startled and looked around hectically. Did he... really just think that?

"... Yamagishi-sensei, could you please tell us what had happened the day your soul had been thrown into the TV world?", the young detective asked the Informatics Professor.

"Well...", Fuuka who looked much better now compared to how she had looked several days before began hesitantly. "As you already now, that day had been a day off."

"Yep. That's why we'd chosen that day to go ice skating.", Chie remembered, nodding.

"The university had been nearly empty that day. Nearly everyone had gone out to relieve some stress.", Fuuka agreed, looking a little depressed now. "Still... that day the university had felt far more crowded, far more overwhelming to me..."

"What do you mean?", Naoto asked her.

"Thanks to my Persona that I can summon through my Body Energy, I can feel things around me that normal people can't.", Fuuka explained. "If there are many people in the university, I sometimes feel a bit constricted..."

"Well, it's full of people then. 'Course you'd feel like that, then.", Kanji said, confused, while Kou nodded in agreement.

"No, no, that's not not what I meant!", Fuuka said hurriedly. "It doesn't matter where I am: Whether I'm all alone in my office or in a huge crowd; _feeling_the presence of that many people alone is enough to sometimes make me feel like that. Unfortunately, that can't be avoided with that power I have.

Anyway, that day I had had the same feeling of being constricted, even though there was nearly nobody there anymore. Something had gathered, becoming more and more as... as if... Well, it's like somebody had filled a basin with more and more water, the pressure it produces getting heavier and heavier."

"Okaaay...", Teddie said, not really understanding it.

"That feeling had gotten stronger and stronger that day, and it seemed as if it had reached its climax when Ito-san had been sitting through her detention at my office."

"So exactly when Ito had been there... Hmhm...", Naoto mumbled.

"I just hadn't been able to stand it anymore after a while, so I had handed Ito-san some papers that she should go and copy for me in the secretariat while I had gone to investigate.", Fuuka continued. "I had followed the source of that feeling through the university and had ended up in front of the PC." Akihiko was clairaudient in an instant. "I'd been standing in front of it for a few moments, deciding what to do. Nobody was allowed to enter after all, with there being the danger of it collapsing. I had been thinking about going back and asking Akihiko-senpai for permission, but Bagman-san who I had met on my way to the director's office had told me that Akihiko-senpai and also Chidori-san had already left the university."

"What? But I've been there the entire day, going through some documents together with Chidori!", Akihiko protested.

"Wh-what? But-"

"Hey, if I remember correctly... That stammering student had told me about those energies she was feeling inside the PC about two days later after that.", Junpei remembered.

"Hmm...", Naoto nearly hummed.

"That son of a bitch! Once we're back at Tanaba University, I'm gonna teach that old fart who's boss here!", Akihiko shouted in fury. "That asshole just wanted to stop you from entering the PC, Fuuka!"

"That's what I had been thinking as well after you had saved me and Junpei-kun had told us about that student.", Fuuka agreed. "That's why I had hurried to investigate as soon as possible."

"And you really couldn't find anything inside the PC when you had been there with Iori and Amada, Yamagishi?", Mitsuru asked her.

"No, unfortunately not.", Fuuka replied. "There could be a minimal chance that I may have overlooked something due to the condition I had been in, but I seriously doubt it."

"No, definitely not. You had been completely focused on your task the moment you had summoned your Persona, Fuuka-san.", Ken assured her. "Whatever may have been there, is not there anymore."

"Damn! And we'd been so close, too!", Akihiko growled.

Several minutes went by in which the only sound consisted of Teddie, Hiro and Patty happily chewing on their snacks.

"What happened after you had met Bagman-sensei in the hallways?", Naoto finally asked the professor.

"Well, after hearing that Akihiko-senpai had supposedly left the university," (Akihiko growled once again.) ", I had returned to my office, expecting Ito-san to be back already.", Fuuka explained. "But instead of that it had been absolutely dark inside it, all curtains closed. Only the small TV on my table had been on and spending a little bit of light. My Shadow had greeted me in it."

"Did you... Did you realize it was a Shadow?", Rise asked her. Fuuka looked at her questioningly. "Well, you _are_ a member of SEES. Shouldn't you have noticed what it was?"

Fuuka nodded. "Yes, actually I did.", she agreed. "My Shadow had been talking without end to me, telling me all those awful things. I had vaguely understood that it was trying to intimidate me and back me into a corner. But with all that negative energy swirling around the university that day, it had become more and more difficult to resist it. And due to those two things - the hateful speech of my Shadow and those energies I had felt - I hadn't noticed someone sneaking towards me from behind. That someone had suddenly grabbed my head and smashed it into the TV screen that had been shattered due to that."

"So someone had forced you to destroy the screen?", Souji asked, puzzled.

"Yes, exactly.", Fuuka said and nodded. "Seconds later my Shadow had already stretched its hand out of the TV and grabbed my breast."

"The moment the soul had been stolen.", Teddie said.

"I assume the culprit had noticed that Yamagishi-sensei wasn't to fall for her Shadow's taunting speech that easily, and had chosen to act instead to ensure that everything went according to plan.", Naoto guessed. "Good. That gives us new insight on the case about the people whose souls have been thrown into the TV world.

"How so?", Yosuke asked.

"The moment the culprit had noticed that Yamagishi-sensei wasn't going to fall for her Shadow and destroy the TV screen herself, they opted not to choose the easier method - that being to quickly destroy the screen themselves -, but rather to grab Yamagishi and smash her head against it, risking that she might see their face in the process.", Naoto explained. "This clearly shows that the Shadow's original _has_ to destroy the TV screen so that the Shadow can get out. That also leads me to assume that destroying the TV screen isn't what the culprit is really after when a Shadow appears."

"But... what could it be, then? I mean, a TV screen had been destroyed each time!", Chie objected. "Does the culprit just like destroying stuff, or what?"

"No, of course not, Satonaka-senpai! Just think about it for a moment!", Naoto hurriedly said, sounding ecstatic. "If a person destroys a TV screen without any form of protection, the person thence will be injured and start bleeding!"

"So it's not the screen... but the blood?", Kou asked.

"Exactly! That's why the culprit can't destroy the screen themselves! The Shadow couldn't have come out like that!", Naoto said, nodding. "The original's blood - the DNA - is needed as information for the Shadow in order to come out! Nothing more, nothing less!"

"Well, that explains why that psycho lets Shadow appear on TV screens, but it doesn't get us any closer to solving the case.", Kanji interjected.

"That may be. But it still feels nice to finally get some of those thousands of questions answered.", Souji replied grimly. The others nodded in agreement.

"One last question, Yamagishi-sensei...", Naoto turned to the professor again. "... Was there are mirror somewhere in the room?"

"No.", Fuuka answered.

"Hmm..."

"But speaking of mirrors: I... think I had seen some kind of reflection on of the computers in that room shortly before I had lost consciousness...", Fuuka tried to remember. "It looked like... like a curtain being blown every which way by the wind..."

"So it happened this time as well...", Naoto said, already lost in thought.

"As well?", Fuuka asked, confused.

"It's the same thing Kou-kun and Patty-chan saw as well.", Yukiko explained to her.

"I see..."

"It's always the same pattern.", Naoto said, sounding a bit angry now. "The culprit always uses the same pattern!"

"They're making fun of us.", Akihiko agreed grimly. "By using the same pattern over and over, the culprit believes there is absolutely no way for us to catch them."

"Why are ya always sayin' `the culprit´?", Kanji asked. "I thought we'd agreed that it's that Ikas girl."

"I am quite certain of that. But until we know who the culprit is without a doubt, I'd rather we say `the culprit´, Kanji.", Naoto calmly explained to him with a rather gentle voice.

Rise giggled loudly when Naoto adressed him as `Kanji´.

Naoto opted to just ignore her this time.

"Miss Kirijo, we'll be arriving at our destination shortly.", a voice suddenly said through the speaker, probably the limousine's driver.

"Understood.", Mitsuru merely replied before she turned to the others again. "As you have just heard, we're about to arrive. But before that I'd like to tell you about our new findings while sorting through the data of my grandfather's researchers again. Yamagishi really helped me with that."

"So you found out more?", Naoto asked interestedly.

"Yes and no. There were mostly just vague theories and stuff that didn't really make any sense in it.", Mitsuru replied. "But first of all, going through all of that data reminded me of how the Dark Hour really had come to be. The version I had told you back then - the Dark Hour having come into being after the big Shadow had split into several little ones that had escaped the lab - had been the version Ikutsuki had been feeding to us."

"So that version is wrong. Ikutsuki was a traitor, after all.", Naoto said.

"Precisely.", Mitsuru said. "But since I had heard that version from Ikutsuki time and time again, I had remembered it as the true version in the end."

"Well, me too, actually.", Junpei admitted and scratched his goat beard. "... Can't really remember another version."

"The night Ikutsuki had betrayed us, he had told us that the Dark Hour had come into being due to gathering all those Shadows, not because the big Shadow had escaped the lab.", Mitsuru explained.

"I see.", Naoto said. "But can this minor detail really be so important?"

"I think so.", Mitsuru said. "In the data the researchers left behind it is stated that the Abyss of Time came into being as a by-product of Tartarus. But as already mentioned, that can't possibly be. The Abyss of Time that is full of Shadows had to be ripped out of the TV world _first_so that the researchers were even able to gather Shadows and create the Dark Hour together with Tartarus through it."

"But since they wrote in their research data that the Abyss of Time was just a by-product of Tartarus, we can assume that Kirijo-san and his researchers - including Ikutsuki as well - didn't really understand themselves what had actually happened.", Naoto concluded, slowly understanding what Mitsuru was getting at.

"That is exactly what I mean.", Mitsuru said. "It's just like with those kidnapped souls. We understand the pattern and everything around it. But there is just one important puzzle piece missing that would lead us to the answer! Ugh!"

"What about the researcher whose whereabouts you don't know about? Have you been able to find him?", Yukiko asked.

"No.", Mitsuru sighed and threw a short, tormented-looking glance at Akihiko.

"So maybe that researcher really _is _Bagman who is just hiding.", Patty suggested.

"No. As already mentioned by me last time, I am more than certain that that researcher is _not_that kind of person! I had met him a few times as a little girl, and... well..." Mitsuru threw another glance at Akihiko who noted it this time and answered with a questioning one. Mitsuru just shook her head as an answer.

"And there are no other people closely enough involved with the project who've survived?", Souji asked her.

"No. Just my father and I.", Mitsuru answered. "I was too young to really understand anything. My father is already dead, though I doubt he really knew anything that may give us new inside. Since he'd been against that project from the start, he had tried to ignore it as much as possible at that time."

"Did your father maybe have any confidants?", Naoto asked. "Maybe one of those may know something, if your father talked to them about it."

"Hmm...", Mitsuru hummed, thinking. "If he ever did tell anyone about it other then me, then only his two personal assistants would come to mind. He wasn't the kind of person to talk about things as serious as that, really."

"And where are those two now?", Naoto asked.

"Minako Botoki and Orisochi Anahramu have both already left the Kirijo Group.", Mitsuru answered. "Urato shortly after my father's death, and Anahramu a few years later, incidentally shortly after attending the party Ken had mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, I don't know where the both of them are living."

"I see...", Naoto sighed in disappointment and looked outside the window, noticing a huge building in the distance.

"We're there.", Akihiko suddenly said.

"There? Where exactly is `there´?", Yosuke asked.

"A building, owned by the Kirijo Group.", Mitsuru answered. The limousine came to a halt and she stepped outside when the door was opened. "Nobody will be able to eavesdrop on our training here."

"Training?", Souji repeated, puzzled.

Junpei chuckled in amusement as he said: "SEES vs. the Investigation Team: This is gonna be loads o' fun!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: As always, thank you for your reviews, everyone!**


	80. Chapter 79: Investigation Team vs SEES!

_**Chapter 79: Investigation Team vs. SEES! GO!**_

"So?"

Slightly startled, Tanaba University's director Chidori Yoshino looked up from her drink that she had been staring at for a quite some time now. The man sitting opposite of her - her fiancé Takaya Sakaki, she reminded herself - smiled gently at her. For a few seconds he saw the rather dumb smile of another man before her inner eyes - a forgotten memory - before she shook her head, supporting her head on her hands. A woman shouldn't think about any other man except her fiancé...

"My... My apologies, Takaya... What were we talking about again?", she asked Takaya with a rather hoarse sounding voice.

"Still confused?", Takaya said and gently took her hand in his own.

"I... am sorry.", Chidori apologized.

"You don't have to.", Takaya reassured her. "It is only natural that you become a bit disorientated from time to time after having lost your memory like that. But that's what I'm here for."

"Hmm..." Chidori studied the man's face. Yes, his face really seemed familiar to her. Yet still... the other man's face- She shook her head again.

"We'd just been talking about those fools who call themselves _SEES_, my love.", Takaya reminded her. "Were you able to find out something about them during your meetings with that Iori?"

"Junpei-san...", Chidori mumbled, and yet again had to shake her head in order to get the man's face out of her head. "... said that he had a very important meeting tonight and thus couldn't spend much time with me. I tried my best, Takaya, really! But... I just wasn't able to get anything out of him this time." She looked to the side plaintively, but Takaya only continued to smile and stroke her hair.

"It's alright, Chidori.", he said. "Whatever it is those fools are doing, in the end it will be of no consequence. They _will_ die, along with all of us since the end is already near. Don't you feel it as well?"

"Well...", she stammered. "Is... Is it really like you told me? Does... Does everybody really want to die?"

"Of course, Chidori.", Takaya answered happily as if talking about cute little puppy-dogs. "Just look around the restaurant we're currently at. Each and every one of them wish for it."

Chidori looked up from her seat in the restaurant and looked at the other people inside: A young man was sitting nearby, typing furiously at his laptop while eating in order to finish his work in time, looking ready to collapse. A little further away was a couple arguing over trivial things. They all had that exhausted, empty look in their eyes that Takaya had been talking about.

"Living alone is already too much for them; it is too painful. All of them only wish for salvation, to be freed from all this pain.", Takaya spoke, gaining Chidori's attention once more. "And thus it is our mission- no, our _duty_to grant their wish. And in order to achieve this, my love, we need the help of the maternal being Nyx."

Chidori stared at him for a while. Thinking about it, she had wanted to die for a long time as well now. She had spent all those years searching for the prince she had been dreaming about each and every night, yet she had never been able to find him. That despair had driven her more and more into a deep and dark abyss, despite her successful job and otherwise satisfying life.

But even after she had found Takaya - her prince -, the abyss didn't seem to want to close. In fact, it only seemed to grow larger and larger. It was probably just like Takaya said: Every human being just wanted it to finally end. Life was just a path full of misery and torture that one had to walk until they finally found their luck in death...

Again the face of that dumbly grinning Junpei flashed before her eyes again for a short moment, and she shook her head another time as if she was trying to shoo away a particularly stubborn fly. Why was this idiot appearing in her memories over and over again?

"I understand...", she finally said and nodded.

"Good, Chidori. Very good!", Takaya said, deeply satisfied. "It is Strega's - our duty to monitor those SEES fools. They should not pose a threat for our Messiah, but one can never be careful enough. That is why Jin has been granted the honour of acting as his defense."

"... Does the Messiah really have enough power to free Nyx?", Chidori asked him.

"Do you doubt him?", Takaya replied, now sounding a little bit angry, and raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not!", Chidori hurriedly said.

"I would hope so.", Takaya said, threateningly. "After all, it was thanks to the Messiah who had decided in his greatness to give us a second chance so that we may complete our glorious mission and also teach that fool Junpei Iori who had tried to drive us two apart a lesson!"

"Teach him a lesson...", Chidori mumbled. "But... do I really have to keep acting like I am interested in him, Takaya? I mean, we've been together since we've been little. I don't like being so close to another man."

"I understand your worries, Chidori, but for the success of our missions we have to endure this.", Takaya said soothingly and gently laid his hand on hers.

To the outside he was telling her sweet little nothings, but inwardly he was laughing maliciously and felt disgusted about having to touch her.

Chidori, the traitor who had sided with SEES back then, had been rather easy to get back on their side. It was simply amazing what a few lies about an engagement about him and her and some compliments and gentle words could accomplish...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Brightly lit and absolutely gigantic was the hall that Mitsuru led the friends into who were staring at all of those rocks and trees and water inside in awe.

"This building is normally used to train the Kirijo Group's Security Service, but I had everyone - the recruits as well as the employees - clear the hall for today so that nobody will be disturbing us.", Mitsuru explained when they all reached the hall's center near a small, beautiful lake.

"Security?", Yosuke repeated and made Mitsuru and the rest of SEES cringe. "... What? Why are you always acting like that whenever I say something?"

"W-well...", Fuuka tried to explain, unsure. "It's just..."

"You sound like Minato Arisato.", Akihiko explained to him. "The same voice he had."

Yosuke blinked a few short times before looking at Naoto questioningly. "... I do?"

"I've only known Minato as a child. I don't know how he sounded as a teenager, less an adult.", she answered him.

"Oh..."

"'s just a lil' bit freaky, ya know!", Junpei said, shrugging.

"This area is used daily by recruits wanting to work for our security department. They're being trained here.", Mitsuru answered Yosuke's other question. "Kirijo has many members that need to much protection, so to say. We're also training security members for other companies, and for that purpose you need a fitting area, like this one here." She motioned around the huge hall. "We don't have to worry about breaking something here in the heat of battle. Much better than Tanaba University's roof, right, Souji-san?"

Souji stared at her, puzzled, before he understood. "So it really _was _you!", he said, his gaze wandering from Mitsuru to Koromaru. "It was you who had attacked me on the roof back then! I had my suspicions, but..."

"Yes, Koromaru and me were the ones who'd attacked you.", Mitsuru confirmed. "An individual's Potential - or Body Energy - will always only shown at first when the body is under much stress and exertion. You as a Wild who has the Life Energy under his command definitely have to have the ability to summon Personas in the TV world as well as in our world. That was the reason why Koromaru and I had decided to test you that night."

"Why didn't you just, well...", Souji began.

"Ask you if we could test you?", Mitsuru finished his sentence and had to smirk a bit at that. "If I had asked you such a question at that time, me and the rest of SEES would have been considered as potential enemies by all of you. No, we had to wait for a good opportunity to reveal ourselves. The thing was, I just didn't want to wait that long; I just _had_to test you. You succeeding to summon your Persona would also affirm the theory about the three energies. If a Wild Card were unable to summon their Persona in our world, all of the data about thos energies would have been utterly useless." She smiled contentedly. "But the test was a success - no, maybe too successful!"

"What do you mean?", Naoto asked.

"I had expected that some kind of aura or something like that would appear around him in the heat of battle.", Mitsuru answered. "Without an Evoker it shouldn't be possible to summon a Persona in this world. But Souji-san had managed to do so without it, showing that the Wild Card's power is really limitless."

Minato-kun would have probably been able to summon his Persona without an Evoker as well, if he really had to do it.", Fuuka opined.

Souji was lost in his own thoughts in the meantime. Was it thanks to Mitsuru's `test´ that Izanagi had broke free several times now to - at least that's how it seemed to him - kill him?

_`No, it couldn't be...´_, he thought. _`The first time it had happened was shortly after we had arrived at Tanaba University. I didn't have any contact with her then.´_

So what did this mean? Had Mitsuru's test been unnecessary since he was already capable to summon his Persona in this world without any help at all? Or did it had some other reason?

He sighed. One question after another...

"Well, in other words, we don't have to test Souji anymore.", Akihiko said. "He will easily be able to summon his Persona if we give him an Evoker."

"Everyone else, though...", Mitsuru began and let her gaze wander through the rest of the Investigation Team.

"Ooooh, I loooove it when a woman stares at me like that!", she could hear Hiro whisper to his cousin Patty.

"It is unclear if the others have the Potential, though.", she continued, unperturbed, though her left eye was twitching a bit now in irritation. "And that is why we are here tonight: We would like to test the each and every one of you to find out who has the Potential and who doesn't have it."

Naoto nodded while the rest of the Investigation Team - except Hiro who grinned like a maniac, as usual - looked somewhat hesitant.

"We won't force you, of course.", Ken promised them.

"Though it _would _be better to have as many people that are able to summon a Persona in our world, especially now after what that Adachi had told us.", Akihiko opined.

"Yeah. If what he said is really true, then the TV world will soon have grown far too huge and will burst like a balloon.", Teddie agreed, face serious.

"Well, we just gotta make sure that dumb Ikas won't be able to throw anyone into the TV anymore, righ'?", Kanji said.

"That may be true, Kanji, but we should be prepared for the worst, nevertheless.", Naoto replied and took a step forward towards Mitsuru. "I will definitely undergo this test."

Kanji was right behind her, wanting to impress her.

"You can count me in, too!", Chie said. "I'm still all hyped up from training this afternoon!"

"M-me too!", Kou hurriedly announced, nearly crashing into Chie in his eagerness to show off in front of her.

Yukiko followed her best friend seconds later.

"Yukiko... You don't have to, if you don't want, you know.", Chie said to her, slightly worried about her best friend's aversion to violence.

"It's okay.", Yukiko said to her, voice firm. "If I can't be of any use in the TV world, then I want to be able to help in this world at least."

"Yukiko..."

"Parrrrrdddyyyy HAAAARD!", Hiro shouted cheerfully the next moment and jumped forward, followed by the sighing rest.

"... Patty? Are you sure you want to try it as well?", Rise asked the red head who nodded in a slight unsure way.

"I'm especially curious about Sideu since she had told us that she was able to perceive the Dark Hour. She _has_to have the Potential!", Mitsuru said.

"Mitsuru!", Akihiko admonished her.

"I am sorry...", Mitsuru sighed. "I don't want to force you, of course!"

"No, I... I want to try it.", Patty said, although her face was rather pale, and took the Neo Evoker that Ken handed out to her and the rest.

"And what am I supposed to do while everybody's training?", Souji asked.

"_You_are going to sit over there on that rock and cheer for me, Senpai!", Rise giggled, dragged Souji to said rock, snuggled against him for a few seconds, and then returned to the other who shook their heads in disbelief.

"Go, Rise! Go, Rise!", Hiro cheered for her.

"Sideu-kun.", Naoto said.

"Yes, Nao-chan?"

"Shut your mouth."

"You got it, Nao-chan!"

Naoto grumbled loudly, but decided to ignore him and turned back to Mitsuru instead.

"Just remember that there is no guarantee that you will be able to summon your Persona in this world after this training session is over.", Mitsuru continued to explain. "You are either born being able to use your Body Energy, or not. There are no exceptions except taking those pills the Kirijo Group had once invented. And those pills _definitely_ aren't an alternative since they kill everyone who takes them after some time."

Hiro's gaze suddenly turned grim for a few seconds before he grinned dumbly again and aimed with his Neo Evoker at Yosuke's head, as if he was going to shoot at him.

The others nodded as a sign that they had understood Mitsuru.

"Sooo... What exactly are we going to do now?", Kou asked. "Beat the crap out of each other and hope that our Personas will appear through that, or what?"

Fuuka had to laugh at that. "No, no, no. That wouldn't lead to anything.", she said. "Your Persona will only appear if you're body is under much stress. That is why each of you will be facing off against one of us, SEES."

"We will attack you with our Personas and force you to reach your limits.", Akihiko continued. "There will surely be some injuries involved in the process, but we will definitely stop if you're not able to fight or don't want to anymore!"

"Akihiko has already told me about your Personas attributes and attacks, and I have planned each teams accordingly.", Mitsuru spoke. "I know this sound rather like a tournament and pretty clinical, but I think it would be better if, let's say, someone whose Persona specializes in fire has to fight against someone whose Persona has the same strong side."

"That sounds logical.", Naoto agreed.

"It's just that you're too many in comparison to us, so some of us have to fight against more than one of you at once.", Junpei said.

"That shouldn't be a problem, considering that we have the advantage to begin with since we can use our Personas.", Ken said.

"Thus Satonaka-san and Teddie will both be fighting against me since their Personas both use ice attacks.", Mitsuru said.

Chie gulped since to her it looked like she had drawn the worst opponent of all of them. Teddie whistled happily instead.

"Yukiko, may I ask for this dance?", Junpei asked Yukiko next, who just looked at him dumbfounded before she understood what he meant, and followed him a little bit away from the others while Mitsuru let her opponents towards the other direction.

"Kanji, Kou! You're both mine!", Akihiko said, already wearing boxing gloves, and led the two men away as well.

"Naoto-san and Hiro-san, your opponent will be Koromaru.", Ken explained.

Naoto stared at him in disbelief while Hiro knelt down next to Koromaru and petted him.

"Koromaru specializes in `Instant Death´ attacks like Mudo. That should be a fitting opponent for you, Naoto-san.", Ken explained. "And Hiro-san..." He stared at Hiro who grinned and waited for an explanation why he would be a fitting opponent for Koromaru. Ken just shrugged after thinking about it for a while and turned to the rest of the Investigation Team.

"HEY!", Hiro snapped and followed Naoto and Koromaru, pouting.

"Yosuke-san, I'm sorry, but none of us is able to use wind attacks.", Ken said to Yosuke. "Yukari-san would have been the perfect opponent, but we still don't know where she is at the moment."

"Uh... Well, it's okay... I guess.", Yosuke said and scratched his head.

"But Akihiko-san told me that your Persona is some kind of mishmash-"

"HEY!", Yosuke shouted and threw dozens of glares at the silver-haired director.

"- some kind of mishmash that has abilities like Dia, Dekaja and even physical attacks.", Ken continued, slightly unsure now. "My Persona is an all-rounder as well, so to say, that can use healing spells, magic and physical attacks. I think I could be a good replacement."

"Um, yo, okay...", Yosuke muttered, still glaring at Akihiko, and followed Ken who also took Patty with him.

"Rise-chan, I think we are the last remaining ones.", Fuuka said to Rise, sat down on the ground, took some cookies out of the bag she had brought with her, and offered one to Rise. "You want some, too?"

"Uuuh..." The teenie idol said down as well and took the offered cookie, looking rather puzzled. "Okaaay... I thought we would... well..."

"Hmm?", Fuuka hummed while curiously watching the others prepare themselves for the training.

"Well... fight?", Rise finally managed to say.

"Oh, no, no, no!", Fuuka laughed in amusement. "My Persona in this world is just like yours, after all! I will try and teach you to summon your Persona by concentrating and focusing your energy in your body."

"Okaaay...", Rise only mumbled, already wishing for another training partner.

"Alright, just remember that we are merely training!", Mitsuru's voice echoed through the hall. "That goes _especially_for you, Akihiko!"

Akihiko could be heard grumbling rather loudly.

"Whenever you think that things become to dangerous for you or that continuing to fight doesn't make any sense since you don't have the Potential anyway, just tell us and we will stop attacking at once!", Mitsuru promised the members of the Investigation Team. "You can go and rest where Souji-san is currently sitting then!" She motioned over to Souji who, feeling rather neglected now, just waved half-heartedly.

"Okay, I'll be doing the countdown or somethin' like that!", Junpei announced, cheerfully. "Three!... Two! ... One!..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Tombstone after tombstone, dead tree after dead tree - that's how the path Yuuta and the rather loudly wheezing Mr. Bagman were taking through this cliche-looking horror graveyard were taking. But no matter how far they went, no matter which path they took, the rows of graves, in which apparently all the children that Mr. Bagman's Shadow had killed over the last months were sleeping, just didn't seem to end.

"... no use...", Mr. Bagman mumbled behind Yuuta over and over again while the little boy was trying his best to find the right encouraging words to get the old man to follow him.

"Just a little more.", he said to the man over and over again. "We're almost outside. Just a little more, Bagman-san. Miki is already waiting."

Mentioning Miki was Yuuta's last and strongest weapon whenever the old man seemed to have lost every will to continue. The name alone seemed to renew the fire in the man's eyes every time.

Yuuta threw - out of consuetude already - a glance behind himself at Mr. Bagman to make sure the old man was still following him, and then proceeded to walk barefoot over the cold pathway.

How much time had passed since he had woken up to this nightmare? There was just no help losing every feeling of time and space at this place...

"Can't go on anymore...", Mr. Bagman suddenly gasped and sank down on a strange structure made of stone that they had passed a few times now and that reminded Yuuta distinctly of a throne.

"... Okay. But just a short break, Bagman-san.", Yuuta sighed in agreement and sat down next to the structure. "We have to get out of before your Shadow appears here, after all."

"Futile...", Mr. Bagman merely mumbled.

"You'll never know until you try!", Yuuta tried to cheer him up, although he felt like crying himself. He let his gaze wander over the stone structure. "Say, Bagman-san... Is this... supposed to be some kinda throne?", he finally asked the old man.

"Hmm...?", Mr. Bagman hummed, lost in thought, and gazed slightly confused at Yuuta before he seemed to understand what the boy was talking about. "Oh, that... Yes, this is a throne - the centre."

"Centre?", Yuuta repeated questioningly.

"There is always as centre for everything in alchemy, my boy.", Mr. Bagman explained. "This here is the centre of the circle my Shadow is using for his own body."

"What circle?", Yuuta asked, understand less and less. All that talk about Shadows, the Dark Hour and a world inside the TV was already confusing enough for him.

"... This whole graveyard - or rather the tombstones - is arranged like a circle used in alchemy.", Mr. Bagman explained. "This stone structure - the throne - is the centre of that circle. This centre is where my Shadow will appear, in the real world as well as here, as soon as his preparation are complete and he has the girl."

"Then... Then shouldn't I rather get as far away from the centre as possible?", Yuuta asked, scared. "I am the catalyst after all, right?"

Mr. Bagman sighed. "It won't matter where you are, my boy. As long as you don't leave the circle - the graveyard -, you will have to fulfill your role as the catalyst.", Mr. Bagman explained and looked up to the sky that was shrouded by thick, heavy fog. "The only way to stop my Shadow is to destroy one of the two circles he has planted in the real world. The ideal one would be the graveyard at Tatsumi Port Island since that would delete this place as well."

"With `delete´ you mean...?"

"We are already dead, my boy.", Mr. Bagman interrupted him. "It doesn't matter what we do."

"So you're just gonna give up like that?", Yuuta shouted at him in anger. "Do you really just want to leave the stage for that Shadow? Do you really want people to remember Yosufu Bagman as the man who killed thousands of people? Because that's exactly what's gonna happen since everyone thinks that Shadow is really you!"

Mr. Bagman stared at the ground. "My boy, this has nothing to do with fighting or giving up. It is just impossible...", he said.

"_He _would certainly be disappointed if he heard you say that.", Yuuta said.

"He?", Mr. Bagman repeated. "You mean my s...?"

Yuuta nodded grimly.

Mr. Bagman only sighed, depressed.

"_I_definitely won't give up!", Yuuta continued to speak stubbornly and stood up again. "If walking around doesn't solve anything, then we have to do something else!" He looked down at Mr. Bagman who seemed to be lost in self-pity now. "I'm slowly understanding why I'm here now. But why exactly are you here, Bagman-san? Maybe that might help us. There has to be a reason for that, after all!"

"... At first I thought that he had chosen me as the catalyst.", Mr. Bagman answered after a moment. "But... it looks like I'm too old and he'd rather have a catalyst whose age is more fitting, like all of his victims. ... The only reason for letting me stay here that I can see is getting revenge on me. He wants me to see what he is going to do after his plan has succeeded."

"Wants you to see?", Yuuta repeated. "What exactly is he gonna do once his plan succeeds? I thought everything would be over after that..."

"No. After his current mission is over, his true plan begins.", Mr. Bagman objected. "As soon as Miki has returned through Nanako Dojima, he will inflict the greatest pain upon me that a human being could ever feel..."

Yuuta stared at the old man for a while before he finally stomped rather loudly on the ground with his feet and whirled around towards the graves. "I know that you can hear me!", he shouted at the graves. "You are still conscious, just like me, aren't you? Answer me!"

No answer.

"Are you just gonna let that asshole use you like that? Are you just gonna give up like that? What is wrong with you all, huh!"

Completely annoyed and desperate, he punched one of the graves that denied him any answer at all before sinking to the ground near tears.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Okay, I'll be doing the countdown or somethin' like that!", Junpei announced cheerfully in the giant hall that belonged to the Kirijo Group. "Three! ... Two! ... One!..."

"PAAAAAAAARRRRDDDYYYYYYY HAAAAAAARRRRRD!", Hiro suddenly shouted the next moment and jumped at the loudly yelping Koromaru.

"Sideu!", Naoto growled in irritation.

"H-huh?" Patty whirled around and looked at Naoto in confusion.

"Not you! HIM!", Naoto shouted and glared at Patty's cousin who was currently trying to abuse poor old Koromaru as some kind of mount.

"Uuh, Hiro... I didn't even say `G-", Junpei said, but shouted in surprise the next moment when Yukiko was trying to hit him with one of her fans. "Hey!", he protested and stepped to the side to dodge her attack. Yukiko stumbled over his feet in the process and, flailing around with her arms while trying not to fall to the ground, hit his soft parts. "Not fair...", Junpei whimpered and sank to the ground.

"Junpei-kun's down! Time for an All-out-Attack! Right, Senpai?", Rise asked Souji hopefully. The silver-haired Fool merely smirked and nodded his approval.

"Yay!", Rise giggled and jumped at Junpei together with Yukiko's help.

"U-um...", Fuuka stammered and just ate another cookie to help her get over her confusion.

"Hey, hey! Stop that! Cut it out!", Junpei complained, but after feeling the round curves of the two women currently attacking him on the ground: "O-okay, I - ow! - changed my mind! Come at me! Go!"

"Sideu-kun! Get away from that poor dog right now! That's cruelty to animals!", Naoto, revolver in her hand, was screaming at Hiro in the meantime who was riding on a loudly yipping Koromaru and forcing to run through the whole hall.

A little further away Chie could be heard sighing rather loudly. "I should have guessed that it would end like this...", she said and shook her head.

"Oooh! I want two women to perform an All-out-Attack on me, too!", Teddie whined next to her and looked hopefully at Chie and and Mitsuru.

"Forget it!", Chie snapped.

Mitsuru was smiling next to them. "Well, I guess it's alright. We're all friends here, after all.", she said and made a challenging gesture with her epee. "But I think it would be best to begin our fight now as well!"

Even farther away Kanji and Kou were chased through the forest-like area of the huge hall by Akihiko who hadn't wasted any time in summoning his Persona Caesar and throwing Zionga attacks at them.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!", Kou shrieked while dodging one electricity attack after the other.

"Think I like usin' Zio attacks more 'n havin' 'em thrown at me!", Kanji grumbled.

"Is that all you got? Start being a little more aggressive or you'll be out like light once I change to `-dyne´ attacks!", Akihiko shouted after them.

"Grrrr!", Kanji merely growled.

The three man stormed through several thick hedges and finally came out to the small lake. Kou stepped to the side and ran around the lake while Kanji jumped right into the water.

"Don't go hiding in there, you idiot!", Kou screamed, a look of utter disbelief adorning his face. "Water and electricity abso-" Kanji let out a loud howl when the next Zionga attack connected with the water. "-lutely don't mix well together..."

"Tch..." Akihiko only shook his head in disapproval while healing the now unconscious Kanji with Diarahan whose body was flowing towards the water's edge.

`Diarahan´ was also used by Mitsuru moments later when one of her attacks had sent Teddie flying through the air. The Kirijo Group's president had lured her two opponents to an area full of rocks where she had started to almost immediately throw around Bufudyne attacks like crazy until all of the rocks had become icy walls that were like mirrors. This makeshift hall of mirrors served her as the perfect protection and delivered one chance after another to ambush Chie and Teddie.

"Oh man, I don't even know where I am anymore...", Chie sighed, seeing herself mirrored everywhere, and kicked against of of those walls of ice which she regretted seconds later when her toes started to hurt.

"This match's goal is not to defeat the enemy.", she could hear Mitsuru's voice echo through the hall of mirrors. "The point is to cause enough stress for you so that you can summon your Persona in this world, should you be capable of controlling your Body Energy."

"THERE!", Chie screamed, ignoring the pain, and kicked against one of the ice walls with all her might, suspecting Mitsuru to be behind it. The rock that had become rather unstable due to being engulfed in ice broke, and Mitsuru quickly jumped to the side when Chie followed with another kick.

"Tentarafoo!", Mitsuru ordered her Persona.

"The confusion spell hit Chie, making her stagger through the area and kicking at Teddie who she had confused with Mitsuru.

"Aaah! Don't kick me, Chie-chan! No kicking!", Teddie squealed in pain while fleeing through the labyrinth, trying to get away from the brunette. "It was Yosuke who had been peeking into the shower today, not me! I sweeeaaar!"

Chie stopped immediately. "What did you just- When...? How...? Huh?" Chie shook her head vehemently to block out the spell and stared at Teddie for a moment before she shouted in fury: "YOSUGAAAAAAAAY!"

Rise, who had finally left Junpei alone, was currently sitting on the clearing near Souji again together with Fuuka, both eyes closed, and inhaled and exhaled deeply. There way absolute silence except some sighing here and there from Rise who thought this kind of training was of no use to her at all.

"Hear the wind's answer in your ear...", Fuuka gently whispered to the teenie idol who was trying to concentrate with all her might.

"Hrm...", said teenie idol hummed.

"Touch the earth's answer with your fingertips..."

"Hrmmm..."

"Taste the water's answer on your lips..."

"Hmhmm..."

"Body... mind... and life itself..."

"Zzzz..."

"R-Rise-chan?" Fuuka looked up at Rise who seemed to have fallen asleep now in confusion. "U-um..." Fuuka looked around for help and startled when she saw a small tendril-like plant that - of that she was most certainly sure of - hadn't been there a few minutes ago. "What...?" Surprised, she gently touched the plant that immediately twitched and grew bigger. "Is this... my doing?" She stared at the flower. _`Mitsuru-senpai said that being able to control both energies may have some effects in our world...´_, she remembered and petted the newly grown plant that seemed to follow her hand's movement. "Wow..."

"SIDEU! I TOLD YOU STOP THIS INSTANT!", Naoto yelled through the forest area, having no ammo for her revolver left.

"Hee hee hee hee! C'mon, Lassie, step it up, or she's gonna get us!", Hiro giggled, Koromaru looking like he was going to pass out any second.

"L-Lassie?", Naoto repeated, confused, and took out the Neo Evoker Ken had given her. "Okay, that's enough!" She pointed the Evoker at her temple. "Persona!" Of course, nothing happened at all, much to Naoto's disappointment. except Hiro laughing even louder now. "AAAAARGH!", Naoto finally screamed and threw her Neo Evoker that hit Hiro's head in the process.

"Umph!", Hiro groaned before falling down from Koromaru and landing on the ground, unconscious.

"So there is another way to use this thing more effectively, after all...", Naoto sighed in satisfaction, stowed the Evoker away into her jacket again took the completely exhausted Koromaru towards the lake so that he could get something to drink at least.

But whether the old white dog could get some refreshment and peace was rather doubtful since Ken and Akihiko were currently pounding away at their opponents over there.

"Two at once is so not fair!", Yosuke complained while he, Patty, Kou and Kanji ran around the rocks above the lake in panic, dodging the Zionga attacks that were thrown at them.

"But four normal people against two Persona user is, huh? I don't think so!", Akihiko replied, one eyebrow raised.

"Don't dodge! Please, use your Evokers!", Ken shouted up to them and let his Persona ram away at the others like an oversized bulldozer.

"Using our Evokers and happily standing still so that you can hit us? No, thanks!", Patty simply replied and jump at Kanji, clinging to his back and using him like a protective shield.

"H-hey! What the-?", the muscular man shouted in puzzlement and tried to turn around and push Patty away.

"Thunderbolts always hit higher objects, Mr. lightning rod!", Patty answered with panic in her voice.

"What kinda nonsense is this?", Kanji growled when Kou suddenly clung to him as well. "GTFO, you two!"

"Sorry, but I don't like pain! Just hold still already, Kanji!", Kou replied and strengthened his grip on the man who dodged two Ziodyne spells with a pirouette-like move, before he stumbled over the rather wet rock were they were standing and fell down into the water. The wave that the three falling into the water caused hit Naoto and Koromaru - who was currently drinking at the water's edge - soaking those two completely.

"Kanji Tatsumi! You're not alone here, you know!", Naoto yelled at him.

"... Why is it always me?", Kanji whimpered while trying to swim to the water's edge, the other two still clinging to him.

Yosuke was laughing his ass off up on the rocks in the meantime. "Hah! Serves you ri-"

"BAKAMURAAAAAAAAA!", a furious scream could be heard the next moment before he felt something kicking his ass and catapulting him into the lake as well. "Serves _you_ right!"

"Chie-chan is sooo strong!", Teddie gushed, having followed Chie together with Mitsuru, and was kicked into the lake as well when he tried to get too near to her.

"Get off me!", Kanji growled, now not only Patty and Kou clinging to him, but also Teddie and Yosuke who were abusing him as a life buoy.

"But I can't swim!", Patty protested loudly.

"Too lazy...", the three men merely answered.

Ken looked at Akihiko who nodded in question "ZIODYNE!"

Five unconscious Investigation Team members were drift ashore where they were grabbed to land by Naoto with the help of Koromaru.

While most of the `battles´ between the members of SEES and the Investigation Team were dominated by SEES, one of the battles - or rather the battle between Yukiko and Junpei - definitely wasn't.

"Whoa! Hey! Ouch! Damn it! Aww!", could be heard whimpering while he desperately tried to dodge every hit Yukiko was dealing with her razor-like fan. "C-could you let me - ouch! - summon my Persona first?", Junpei begged, getting more and more cornered.

"No excuses! Fight!", Yukiko merely shouted, continuing her attacks. The prospect of finally being able to prove herself seemed to have made her a bit _too_ ambitious.

"Honestly, Kanji!", Naoto growled at Kanji after he and the other had been healed by Akihiko, Ken and Mitsuru. "Can't you be a little more careful? This is already my second set of clothing you've ruined! It's not really-"

"PAARRRRRDYYYYY HAAAAAAAAARRRRRD!", was suddenly to be heard before Hiro, who had regained consciousness and sneaked towards them, jumped at Koromaru again.

"NOT AGAIN, SIDEU!", Naoto yelled and threw her Neo Evoker at Hiro again, but missed this time.

Rise had finally woken up after being gently shaken by Fuuka a few times.

"Man, that felt really great!", she yawned stretched languidly before she took one of the remaining cookies. "Sooo... Where were we?"

"Uum...", Fuuka stammered.

"Aww, whatever! That whole stuff about wind, earth, and water doesn't help me anyway! Let's just do something else, Fuuka!", Rise interrupted her boredly.

"Wh-what do you suggest?", Fuuka asked, having completely lost the plot.

"Akihiko-san always wanted to enter the TV world whenever we went to save you.", Rise immediately started blabbering, her eyes already sparkling with excitement. "Is there something going on between you two~?"

"WH-WHAT?", Fuuka shouted in horror, disbelief written all over her face.

"SIDEU! GET OFF HIM!", Naoto's loud scream made both women startle and whirl around.

Hiro was currently riding on Koromaru and would be crashing into Rise and Fuuka any second now.

"Out of the way, ladies!", Hiro cheerfully shouted.

"Waaah!", Rise screamed and did just that by jumping to the side.

"Aaaah!", Fuuka only screeched and protectively held her hands before her face. The tendril-like plant that had been Fuuka's hand's movement the entire time reacted in an instant, shot forward, grabbed Hiro's leg and threw him off of Koromaru who managed to stop just millimetres before Fuuka.

"Score one for Fuuka...", Rise said in awe and stared at the plant that retracted back into the ground again. "What was...?"

"Now cut it out already!", Naoto interrupted her, having reached them together with the others. "We're here to _train_, Sideu!"

"But I _am_training the little doggie!", Hiro protested and grabbed the rather large bump on his head he now sported thanks to the Neo Evoker and hitting the ground. "He's gonna be the fastest mou- uh, dog in all Mexico!"

"But this is Japan.", Yukiko disagreed.

"Ah, whateva!", Hiro simply said, jumped up from the ground and took out his Neo Evoker. "You just want me to summon my Persona anyway, right? I'll show you how it's done!" He held his Evoker against his soft parts and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

"Hmm... Very strange..." He shrugged. "Well, at least it feels rather gooooood down there~!"

"Dude, seriously!", Yosuke bristled at him and took some steps backwards.

Mitsuru merely threw `The Look™´ at him.

"Okay, okay, I got it!", Hiro hurriedly said, pointed the Evoker at his temple and pulled the trigger.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Silently and unnoticed, a figure walked slowly over the Kirijo Group's training hall's roof.

"So that's it...", the person, Mr. Bagman, whose movement looked rather strange, as if he was a puppet on strings, said and stared with empty looking eyes and slightly opened mouth at the roof he was standing on, almost as if he could see through it and watch what was going on inside. "A miscalculation, it seems..." He knocked on the roof with his cane, the letters on it starting to flow. "Time fore some mathematical coaching from me..." He closed his crazily gleaming eyes and raised his right hand as if it was dragged upwards by a string. The hand which now started to glow blue was the same that had started to glow back then when he had found Hiro at night in the PC. It was the same hand that had separated itself from Bagman at that time and had crawled into Hiro's ear. "A little test should suffice, I think..."

~.~.~.~.~.~

Hiro's ear suddenly started glowing blue before the whole building was engulfed in that light seconds later.

"What the-? Don't tell me he actually did it!", Kanji shouted in disbelief, shielding his eyes with his hands due to the bright light.

"AAAAAAH!"

"Rise?", Souji shouted when he heard Rise's pained scream, and tried to open his eyes again. Rise lay on the ground, unconscious, Hiro kneeling over her. "Hiro, what-"

Hiro jumped at Kanji next who managed to jump to the side just in time.

"What the hell's wrong with him?", Yosuke yelled, dumbfounded, while Hiro jumped at Akihiko next, and looked at Mitsuru. "What did the Evoker do to him to make him go crazy like that?"

"I... I don't know!", the Kirijo Group's president replied, her gaze just as helpless, and stared in horror at Akihiko who was knocked out without Hiro even touching him.

Hiro whirled around and stormed towards Yukiko now.

"Hiro! Stop!", Patty shouted after him.

The members of SEES let their Personas storm towards the brown-haired man who jumped to the side, laughing like crazy, and ran into the forest.

"After him!", Mitsuru shouted and ran, the others right behind her. "I don't even want to think about what might happen if he manages to escape and enters Tokyo!"

They had just reached the first trees when a loud rumble could be heard.

"What... exactly is that?", Yosuke asked the others, his eyes widening the next moment in horror: The water from the lake had become a giant tidal wave, Hiro riding on it like a surfer, and was coming their way. "SHIT!"

Seconds later the wave washed them away and towards the clearing, destroyed the tendril-like plant finally splashed against the training hall's walls before the water disseminated into all directions so that the water level sank down to the dedendum of the tooth.

"F... Fuck...", Kanji wheezed and spat out litres of water. He groaned in pain when Hiro - was suddenly right behind him - punched him right into the back with both fists.

"Kanji-kun!", Yukiko shouted in horror as Kanji was catapulted into the air and flew through the clearing.

Two Agidyne attacks from Junpei and Koromaru were thrown at the brown-haired man who just punched the ground with his fist. The ground parted and shot forth, becoming a sturdy wall that protected him from harm. Another punch against the wall made it break, and thousands of little pieces of rocks flew towards the friends.

"This is sooo much fun!", Hiro cackled and jumped at Chie next who, after being hit by several rocks, still tried to counter with a kick.

Hiro blocked the attack, grabbed her leg and proceeded to whirl her around.

"Let go of her!", Naoto yelled and stormed towards him together with Souji, Yosuke and Kou.

"Got it, Nao-chan!", Hiro laughed, punched Naoto to the side and let go of Chie so that she crashed right into Yosuke and Souji. The three of them were thrown through the hall and crashed into the wall, sinking to the ground.

The last thing Souji managed to make out before unconsciousness took him was Hiro taking out one of SEES' Persona after another...

~.~.~.~.~.~

It was very, very dark when Souji regained consciousness again.

"Too dark...", Souji mumbled and slowly stood up, his arms, his legs, his back - actually, _everything_- hurting like hell. "... Yosuke? ... Chie?", he asked tentatively while trying to make out something in the darkness. He was sure that Chie and Yosuke had been near him when he had lost consciousness.

"Finally awake?"

Startled by the voice that he immediately recognized, Souji looked up and finally managed to see someone sitting on a small elevation. Someone seemed to be asleep to that person's feet.

"I almost thought your beauty sleep'd take forever.", the person said and stood up, yellow eyes glowing.

Souji stared at the person's clothes that were the same as his. He stared at the hair that were the same as his, to the face that were the same as his. "I've waited all this time to be finally able to meet you, Souji-kun.", Shadow Souji happily spoke to his original.

"What...?", Souji stammered, confused, and looked around. This place definitely wasn't the training hall.

"Could we please just get to the point and make me go into Berserk Mode?", his dark copy asked and then looked down at his feet.

Souji's gaze followed his and landed on the motionless person who had dark blue hair. "Naoto...?", he asked hesitantly, but shook his head seconds later. No, this person looked a bit like her, but was definitely male. And Naoto never had a MP3 player with her. "... Minato Arisato?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Hmm... A bit evil to stop there, but... oh well... ^^**

**Thank you for your reviews, everyone!**


	81. Chapter 80: Souji I'll face myself!

_**Chapter 80: Souji - I'll face myself!**_

Grey eyes as well as yellow eyes were both staring at the blue-haired boy that was currently lying motionlessly on the ground.

"... Minato Arisato?", Souji whispered into the silence.

"Oooh, so you know him?", his dark self replied, its eyes now turned to its original.

The blue-haired Fool's eyebrows seemed to twitch impalpably when his name was spoken.

"He's... alive?", Souji asked.

"Hmm... Who knows...", his Shadow chuckled, stared down at the boy to its feet again and kicked at him, Minato groaning slightly. "Well, I think so. At least barely, I guess." His gaze wandered back to Souji. "So what are you gonna do? Are going to let me go into Berserk Mode, or what?"

"Where are were?", Souji asked instead, his gaze still focused on Minato. "Mitsuru-san... she'd told me that Minato's dead." He shook his head. "No, his body rests buried at Tatsumi Port Island while his soul functions as a seal. So how...?"

"Does it really matter?", Shadow Souji interjected and shrugged. "The only important fact is that he is currently lying here on the ground, breathing - who knows how long it's gonna be that case." He carelessly kicked Minato a second time. "Just take him with you, Souji! Naoto would be ecstatic, wouldn't she?"

Souji took a step toward Minato, but the moment he did so the ground in front of him suddenly seemed to move as well, and the distance between Souji and the other two widened.

"Ah ah ah! You didn't answer my question.", Shadow Souji said like to its original like one would when explaining to a child that one plus one equals two.

"What?", Souji snarled, gaze still focused on Minato.

"Oooh, you're gooooood!", Shadow Souji laughed. "`If I just ignore the big bad Shadow, he won't go berserk! It's that easy!´" He applauded the silver-haired Fool. "Very good, my dear! But sadly, that's _not_how it works! If you want to take Minato here with you, you'll have no choice but to answer my question." Souji finally looked it in the eyes. "So, would Naoto be ecstatic or not?"

"... More than ecstatic.", Souji answered, crunching his teeth. Smiling triumphantly, his Shadow opened its mouth to speak, but Souji just continued: "`And then: KA-CHING! The Fortune Social Link will be re-established! Another slave for Souji Seta!´"

The smile immediately disappeared out of the Shadow's face. "That was a rather nice imitation of myself.", it admitted.

"Of course. We _are _one and the same person, after all.", Souji replied, nodding.

His Shadow grumbled in answer.

"Just forget it.", its silver-haired original said. "It won't work. I know my own faults quite well." He sighed. "I've heard them yelled at me just a short while ago..." He thought back to the night Naoto had shouted at him in the hallway of Tanaba University. To think that this conversation of all things would prove to be an advantage now...

"Hmph...", his Shadow merely harumphed and closed its eyes, probably to think about how to rile up its original best.

Souji took a step toward them again, just to have them move the same distance away again.

"Mommy told me not to come too close to bed men.", the Shadow said and opened its eyes again, the complacent smile back again. "And you _are_a bad man, Souji Seta!"

"I just told you, you won't get anywhere by trying to badmouth everything and everything and ho-"

"I just wanted to finally show my true potential, and you deny me that pleasure! You're so mean!", the Shadow interrupted him.

"... What?"

"I mean, wearing a pink princess dress and talking like a spoiled brat _had been_ quite fun.", his Shadow continued, shrugging. "But acting like a complete queer and taking on a penis shaped form? Give me a break! No, thanks!"

"What are you talking ab-"

"And the way things stand now, I'll soon have to wear a white lab coat and whine the whole time like a brat about how mean Souji Seta is! Ugh!"

"You-"

"Whatever! It doesn't matter!", Souji was interrupted by his dark copy once again, it grinning rather maliciously now. "As long as I can just continue playing with my possessions, I'll be able to bear it, I guess!"

"P-possessions?"

"How else would you call Naoto-chan, Yosuke-kun, Chie-chan and all the other idiots, huh?", Shadow Souji replied and tilted its head to the side.

"They aren't-", Souji began, but shook his head and grinned triumphantly. "Oh, no! I won't fall for that!" Again, he took a few steps toward the other two, but they just went the same distance away from him.

"Not even one tiny `You're not me!´ for little old me?", the Shadow asked.

"No.", Souji replied and looked around. "Just tell me where we are. And why is Minato Arisato here? What was that stuff about behaving like a spoiled brat or acting like a queer?"

"So many questions, my dear!", the Shadow chuckled. "But you should be able to answer all of them by yourself, shouldn't you? After all, you just said that you're me, so you should know them!"

"Of course I don't know the answers to them!", Souji snarled.

"Oh? So you're not me?", Shadow Souji asked, desire evident in its voice.

Souji sighed in exasperation. "Just listen, Me!", he said slowly. "It doesn't matter what methods you try to use with me. It. won't. work."

Shadow Souji stared at its original for a while before it closed its eyes and sighed. "Fine..." The Shadow stood up from its seat and suddenly stood right in front of the silver-haired Fool.

"Wha-?", Souji yelled in shock and tried to jump back. But at the same moment he noticed that it was no longer possible for him to move since his hands and feet suddenly seemed to be frozen in place.

"Tell me...", his Shadow said and leaned with its face toward Souji, until their noses were almost touching. "Are you sure you'll be able to do it? This world _is _filled with thick, heavy fog, after all. And it'll only continue to get denser and denser, the further you go."

"I...", Souji began, not completely understanding what his dark copy was getting at now. "I'm sure I'll be able to overcome any obstacles.", he finally answered.

"Are you sure?", his Shadow continued to question him. "Why not just give up, Souji? The truth _is_ unattainable. It will always be shrouded by fog. Are you sure you'll be able to find the true culprit this time?"

"What?"

"Truth behind truths... The ultimate truth behind the suggested truth, my dear. Aigis has already given you that tip, remember?", the Shadow chuckled.

"True culprit...", Souji repeated, lost in thought, eyes huge. "Does that mean... Adachi is... innocent?"

"Ahahahahaha! That's a laugh!", his Shadow roared with laughter. "Noooooo, Tohru Adachi was a baaad boy who was just too horny for his own good. He's just as guilty as Noriko Kashiwagi is always horny!"

"Then what do you me-"

"Just let go, Souji-kun. Live in blissful ignorance. Just lie to yourself.", his Shadow interrupted. "I mean, if you hadn't been able to realize it all those years ago, how are you supposed to find the true answer this time!" Its eyes gleamed in pure malice. "This world's fog is getting denser and denser, consumes the truth more and more and draws evil to it like a magnet. More and more evil will gather and surround the truth like a protective cocoon until you stand before an unbreakable barrier that you'll have to overcome. It's futile, Souji!"

"The truth has to be somewhere out there!", Souji protested.

"Oh, the truth?", Shadow Souji repeated in amusement. "I already told you, obtaining the truth is simple! Just do it like this!" It closed its eyes. "See? If I can't see it, it won't hurt me. Just close your eyes and accept the facts as truth that you want to be true." It opened its eyes once again and stared at Souji. "Just stop this futile run through a labyrinth in which you'll never be able to find the exit! Do it before you stand there, all alone!"

"I-"

"You've already scared Naoto away after all!", the Shadow continued. "But let me give you a fair warning: The longer you wait and continue this foolishness, the more of them will turn away from you.

Yukiko is already close to do so. You were lucky you managed to talk her into returning to you once again with sweet talk, but just one wrong word and she'll be gone forever!" Souji's face contorted more and more in anger. "And good ol' Yosuke didn't really appreciate you suspecting him to the be the culprit either! And let's not forget that he's really upset how you're all after that poor, poooooor Ikas!

Chie is slightly miffed now, too, you know! The way you suggested that Kou should join your training didn't really bode well with her! She thinks you absolutely don't want to spend time with her!

Oooh, and just think about Kanji! He may be acting like a complete idiot most of the time, but even he's realized that Naoto doesn't notice him the way he wants her to! And that's all just because of you!

And-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!", Souji screamed at it in fury while the Shadow's face suddenly contorted into one of pure pleasure. "You have no clue about how _I_ feel at all! You can't even imagine what's going on inside me! How I feel about all those accusations that-"

And while Souji shouted and shouted, the Shadow licked its lips in desirous anticipation, like a starving hunter who had just spotted his prey and was ready to pounce and devour it.

"- You..."

"Yes? Yesss?", the Shadow asked him, its whole body shaking with pleasure.

"You're not-"

"Yeeeeesss?" The Shadow leaned even closer to Souji, smiling like crazy. "Say it! SAY IT ALREADY!"

Souji startled, realizing what he had been about to do just in time. "I-I..."

"SAY IT ALREADY, GOD-FUCKING-DAMNIT!", the Shadow screamed so loud that even the ground seemed to be shaking.

"No.", Souji merely replied.

"SAY IT!", the Shadow continued to screech. "SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY I-" Suddenly Shadow Souji, who had sounded like he would have continued like this forever, stopped, its body winding backwards, as if it had cramped. "What is-?", it gasped and stared at its hands that started shaking. The Shadow laughed hysterically.

"What now? Did you completely lose it now?", Souji yelled at him and tried to get away from him, though unable to do so since his limbs still seemed to be frozen in place.

The Shadow laughed louder and louder, more and more hysterically, and the hands that were still shaking suddenly got more and more wrinkles. The Shadow's skin seemed to become more and more ashen, and its silver hair slowly turned grey, like those of an old man.

"Ah hah hah hah! That's just priceless!", the Shadow continued to cackle while its face seemed to deform itself like a a mask made of wax. "I just can't believe he really managed to do that without you noticing at all! Ahahahaha!"

"What is-? What's happening to... What the hell...?", Souji stammered in complete confusion and stared at his Shadow that had now fallen to the ground where it was writhing, as if in pain.

"Shut up...! Get away from me...!", the Shadow gasped and swung his fist after its original.

The fist connected with the silver-haired Fool which made him tumble backwards, now finally able to move again.

"What-?", Souji began anew.

"STOP!", the Shadow screamed in the meantime and tried to get back on its feet, only to fall to the ground again and again like a helpless baby that was just learning how to walk. Finally the Shadow just fell head-first to the ground and stayed there motionlessly, Souji being unable to tell if it had consciousness, because its face was turned to the ground.

A few moments went by before Souji took some steps toward his Shadow and cautiously kicked against it.

No reaction.

Souji was just about to turn around to Minato Arisato in order to take a look at the other Fool's condition himself when his Shadow suddenly grabbed the foot that had kicked it.

"You will stay here like a good boy, my dear...!", the being on the ground wheezed, its voice sounding old and gruff and making Souji freeze in horror.

"What...?"

Lightning-fast, the Shadow sat up and stared at Souji with hazy, grey eyes, a cynical, condescending sneer on the lips.

"B-Bagman?", Souji stammered, completely confused now.

Slowly and wavering to all sides, the old literature professor of Tanaba University stood up from the dark ground, slightly unsteady on his feet without his usual cane, and grinned at Souji.

"What's going on here?", Souji shouted at the old man. "How did you...? I mean- What the hell is going on here?"

The old man merely continued to laugh while he held one hand above his head where a blue shimmering tarot card suddenly appeared. "Persona!"

Souji eyes widened even more when suddenly Izanagi appeared over Mr. Bagman's head and swiftly swung its sword towards the silver-haired man who dodged just in time by jumping backwards.

"So _this_is the power of the Wild Card, huh?", Mr. Bagman spoke, lost in thought, and suddenly made a swishing motion to the side with his hand, that Souji recognized immediately as the move he always did when he-

"Changing Personas?", Souji gasped and took some steps backwards in slight fear.

"Uuuuugh!", the old man suddenly groaned and grabbed his head in agony. His eyes immediately switched from grey to flashing yellow. "Give... me... back... my... body... old fart...!", Mr. Bagman suddenly spoke with Shadow Souji's voice. "If I had known that you... I would've never... Arrrrrgh!" The yellow eyes suddenly changed back to grey ones, and Mr. Bagman held his hand upwards again. "YOSHITSUNE!"

As commanded, the mighty Persona who had helped Souji in so many battles years ago appeared and raised its weapon threateningly.

"Hassou Tobi...", Souji whispered with absolute fear in his voice and started to run away as fast as he could, the ground beneath him already breaking apart, and the deadly red spreading out more and more around the area. The ground directly beneath Souji caved in, and the silver-haired Fool fell to the ground head-first, the red light only millimetres away from him.

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW!", Mr. Bagman screeched with Shadow Souji's voice, eyes now yellow again, and Yoshitsune and its attack disappeared immediately. Mr. Bagman groaned audibly and fell to the ground which had started to shake rather violently now. The floor opened up and Mr. Bagman disappeared into it.

Absolute silence...

It seemed as if hours had passed before Souji finally stopped staring at the spot where his Shadow had disappeared, and looked at Minato Arisato instead who was still lying where the Shadow had forgotten him.

"Arisato...", Souji mumbled and slowly walked over the ground that seemed to be repairing itself again. "Hey, Arisato!", he shouted when he had reached him and knelt down. The boy's chest heaved and sunk slowly. _`He's alive...´_, Souji thought and felt the other Fool's weak pulse, just to be safe. "Arisato!", Souji spoke again and shook Minato rather ungently in order to wake him up. Minato made some strangled, wheezing noises. "Minato Arisato! Wake up!", Souji shouted and threw some quick glances behind him to make sure his Shadow hadn't returned again.

The other's eyebrows twitched slighty.

Souji returned his attention back to the boy and decided to try waking him up with a slap to the face.

The blue-haired one made a slightly annoyed voice before he, very slowly, opened his hazy - probably because he had been _`asleep´_for so long - blue-grey eyes and looked around, his gaze resting on Souji.

"Where...?", he began, his voice unbelievably hoarse, as if he hadn't used it in a long time. But still...

_`Akihiko and the others were right. His voice __**does **__sound a lot like Yosuke...´_, Souji thought in wonder before he tried answering the boy's - he really _did_look like a boy even though he was supposed to be older than Souji - question. "Unfortunately, I don't know where we are either.", he answered. "My name is Souji Seta. Yours is Minato Arisato, right?"

"... Yes.", Minato answered after a moment in which he had only stared at Souji, and took the silver-haired Fool's offered hand.

Slowly, very slowly, Souji pulled the boy up from the ground, reminding himself that he must have been lying there for years and that his body probably wasn't in the best condition right now.

"Can you remember what exactly happened?", Souji asked him and slowly let go of him.

Minato's whole body began shaking immediately, and he would have fallen to the ground if Souji hadn't quickly grabbed him again. Sighing slightly, Souji threw the boy's arm around his shoulder to help him stand.

"Thank you.", Minato thanked him, coughed a few times in agony and then stared ahead thoughtfully. "I... I still remember that it had been quite a nice day. I'd been sitting with Aig- a friend of mine on the school roof, and then... then... I don't know any more..." He continued to stare ahead, into the darkness. "I... What exactly happened? How did I end up... here...?"

"That's... a rather long story.", Souji slowly replied, knowing fully well how clicheed that line sounded. "The important thing right now is that you're good and healthy-" He stopped while staring at Minato's far too thin body; the boy was also clinging to him for dear life in order to avoid falling to the ground. "- Well, as healthy as you can be after what you have experienced. Let's just get out of here, then we can talk about everything else, okay?"

Minato stared at him for a few seconds before he nodded and awkwardly tried to smile, as if he had forgotten how one smiley after all this time. "... Home?", he asked the silver-haired man.

"Well, back outside, at least.", Souji replied. "I don't know where your home is, but I know someone who should know where-"

"Home is where my friends are.", Minato interrupted him, a longing look on his face.

"Home. I got it.", Souji agreed and nodded, smiling. He strengthened his grip around the other boy and started the arduous and long trip through the dark, strange place they had ended up at.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: I had hesitated to add the stuff about the ground crumbling (Japan and stuff), but the German version of this chapter had been writting long before all that had happened in Japan, and it would be kinda difficult to change that now. So, sorry if someone felled miffed about that part.**

**Thank you for your reviews, everyone!**


	82. Chapter 81: Playing tag with the Messiah

_**Chapter 81: Playing tag with the Messiah**_

"Hiro! Stop it right now!", Patty screamed in complete panic and tried, together with Junpei, to ease the stranglehold with which Hiro held Mitsuru's neck.

Hiro turned slowly to her, smiled and threw Mitsuru against Junpei who was thrown together with her all over the battlefield by the force of the impact.  
"Patty-chan..." Hiro murmured, amused, and stalked towards Patty with springy steps who took some steps backwards, frightened of her cousin.

"H-Hiro...?"  
Hama and Mudo rained down simultaneously on the young, now totally mad stundent, fired by Ken and Koromaru who had recovered enough to stand up again, but Hiro only punched the ground once with his fist so that some kind of barrier made of dirt and earth rose up from the ground that blocked the "Instant-Death" spells.

"It's about time we made our relationship official, Patty-chan..." Hiro murmured now and stepped up to Patty who was leaning with her back against a tree and stared at him anxiously.

"Wha- what...?", she began, totally confused, but her eyes widened the next moment. "You can't...!" Suddenly she started shaking and pulled her arms around her body, as if she could protect herself from him with that. "P-please... no... Not like my mother..."  
Hiro stalked on towards her with a broadening smile.

There was a quiet snap behind them, before the ridge Hiro built was utterly destroyed and long thick tendrillars hurtled towards him and wound around his arms and hands. The tendrillars grew and grew, split up and sprouted on and on. Some of them took hold of Patty who screamed in surprise, pushed her softly to the side and in the next moment thrust Hiro against the tree the redhead had just been leaning on, only to nail him down completely.

"Very good... Yamagishi..." Mitsuru panted, - still not being able to breath normally again after the strangleattack on her - watching Fuuka who had just summoned the tendrills with her new gained power. "I had imagined something... just like this... when I had... arrangend... this meeting." She looked at the tendrills that carried on growing in every direction. "Body Energy and Mind Energy combined are... really amazing."

~.~.~.~.~.~

No matter how far Souji wandered around through the darkness with the flabby trotting Minato beside him, it seemed, as if there was no exit whatsoever.

"How far is it...?", Minato asked suddenly with definite exhaustion in his voice.

"I...", Souji began and looked into the darkness in front of them. "Just a little more, Arisato. Not far now."  
"So tired...", the bluehaired simply murmured, his eyes almost completely closed, his steps becoming more and more sluggish.

"Hey, don't fall asleep again!", Souji warned him and shook his frail seeming body fast and ungentle.

"Mrmmm...", was Minatos only answer who scuffled beside him. "Home..."  
"We'll be there soon.", Souji simply returned as an answer. Just where exactly was the exit here? If they didn't get out of there soon, Minato would sooner or later have reached the limit to the small bit of strength left in his body. And there was absolutely no guarantee he would open his eyes once again... "Think of your friends.", he tried to keep Minato awake.

"Mitsuru-san, Akihiko-san, Junpei, Ken, Koromaru! They're all waiting for you!"  
"You... know them?", asked Minato wearily.

"Er, yes.", Souji replied. "They were all worried about you." He smiled at him. "They'll be so surprised to see you."  
Minato looked up at Souji whilst they were walking into uncertainty. "Yukari...? Aigis...?", he asked croakingly.

"W-well...", Souji began slowly. He knew where Aigis was. But Yukari... "They're there, too, of course!", he quickly lied. "And I don't know if you remember her, but there is a certain young Lady named Naoto Shirogane, who'll be definitely gla-."  
"How far to go...?", Minato interrupted and stared in front of him again.

"Not far...", Souji answered quickly. Minato looked at him questionally and Souji sighed.

"Honestly? Unfortunately, I don't really know..." he said. He trotted on, but startled when he felt that Minato had suddenly stopped walking. "... Minato?"  
"How did you get here?", Minato asked him after a few seconds of silence, his gaze to the ground.

Souji sighed again darkly. "I don't know..."  
"How... do you plan to get out of here?", Minato kept on asking, his eyes still turned to the floor.

"I... don't know...", Souji replied again.

"So you don't know how to to find the way out of here?", Minato wanted to know.

"... No."  
Now it was Minatos turn to sigh. "Tch! Useless..."  
"Minato...?", Souji asked and took a step towards him, confused.

"You really are totally useless, Souji Seta!", Minato hissed and raised his head again the next moment, eyes now flashing yellow.

"What the...?", Souji stammered and jumped backwards just in time as Minato lunged at him with razorsharp fingernails.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!", Minato said with a dissapointed face before he grinned madly. "Here I am, doing everything in my power to split myself into to - one part looking like your Shadow while the other part looks like Minato Arisato -, and then _this_! You are absolutely useless, really!"

"W-what in the...?

"And my plan was sooo well-thought-out, too! I'd planned it out sooo well while you were lying here, unconscious!", Arisato whined on and slightly sulked, but still managing to grin, and stared into the sky.

"Just take an idiotic fool and pretend that he has to deal with his own Shadow, and lose deliberately against said Fool. Stupid as said Fool is, he will try to take the fake Minato Arisato, whom I pretend to be, into his world. And BOOM, TADA - I AM FREE AT LAST!" His grinning gaze landed upon Souji again. "But nooooooo, the damn Fool has no idea how he got here! I should have thought so! Tch!"  
"What...? Who are you? You are not Minato Arisato!", Souji shouted at him, still too shocked to completely process what the person in front of him had told him just now.

"And the award for goes toooo Souji Seta!", the figure that looked like Arisato giggled and clapped its hands together a few times before it disappeared in the ground. "...not!"  
Souji bewilderedly looked for the figure and sprang up in shock when he heard Arisatos voice from the floor.

"But, I'll say! I never expected to find Yosufu Bagman in the vastness of your inner self. _That_ really was a surprise!", the creature chuckled from the floor.

"What are you talking about?", Souji screamed into the darkness which surrounded the whole area. "Who are you?"  
"Your memory isn't that good either!", he heard the creature say with its sing-sang voice. "I am one... I am all... I am the end..."  
A short pause in which the creature chuckled again. "Some might even call me the Messiah. I grant you the honour to call me so as well, Souji Seta."  
"Forget it!", Souji hissed. "Where are you? Show yourself, you coward!"  
"Oooh, are we angry that we were made a total fool of just now?", replied the creature that called itself the Messiah and the very next moment a figure emerged from the floor.

Souji ran towards the person with his sword held high, but stopped abruptly, when he recognised towards whom he was running.

"Hello, Partner!", Yosuke chuckled, eyes twinkling yellowish, and quickly hit Souji in his stomach before disappearing into the ground and returning again a few metres behind Souji.

"My introduction isn't just snobbish rambling, you know.", the Messiah who seemed to have taken on the appearence of Yosuke said. "I am one, but I am also all. I can take on the appearence of one person, but I have also the possibility to become any other person, you understand? Pretty cool, huh?"

"Grrr!", Souji exclaimed, seized his sword again and made several steps towards the Messiah.

"Ah ah ah! Rude guests won't get very far with me!", he said with raised index-finger, like a mother who instructed her naughty child.

Several beats rained down on Soujis face that knocked him down to the ground in a flash.

"Oomph!", the silverhaired fool moaned and got back to his feet. He let his gaze wander around the area in confusion until it came to a halt on the grinning Messiah. How did he manage to hurt him from that far away? It had felt like several whips had lashed out at the same time.

"Weeeeeell, due to you being absolutely useless to me in regard of my escape from this prison I suggest that I will play a little while with my toy at least, right?", the Messiah opined, nodded shortly as if to agree with himself and disappeared in the ground again.

"Toy...", Souji repeated. "So you really are the creature I had already met once before in this dark place...". He remembered the grinning grimace he had met back then, shortly after he had lost consciousness during the battle against Mitsuru and Koromaru. This grimace had introduced itself to him as the Messiah back then as well, and referred to him as a `toy´ (Author's note: Chapter 46!). "Get out of the ground and show your true face!", he shouted.

"My true face? But that would so boooring, Souji-kun!", came the cackling reply, before Rise grew out of the ground on Souji's one side while Yukiko emerged from the other.

"Seeeeeenpaaaaaaai!", the part of the Messiah that had taken on the form of Rise squealed cheerily and seconds later started making choking noises in disgust. "Ugh, this is so nauseating! How does this girl manage to speak with such a high pitch!"  
"Well, at least she's got a hot body!", the part that looked like Yukiko now exclaimed, shrugging.

"Well, that may be true.", Messiah Rise agreed, nodding, and let both hands wander over her body. "Hmm... Is that sexual harassment or masturbation, now? I don't really know... .".

"Keep my friends out of it!", Souji hissed.

"Friends? Hah!", Messiah Rise repeated, sneering.

"You don't have any friends! Only slaves!", corrected Messiah Yukiko while Messiah Rise continued to play with herself gleefully.

"Stop it!", Souji shouted and took a swing with his sword at her.

"Ahahaha!", the redhead laughed and shot back into the ground, Messiah Yukiko following her example.

Souji watched around grumbling.

"I'm here!", someone suddenly said behind Souji where the Messiah in the form of Kanji stood.

Souji took an angry swing at him.

"Oops!", Messiah Kanji squealed cheerily and disappeared immediately in the ground.

"No, here! What's wrong? Having problems finding the target, Sensei?", Messiah Teddie giggled from the left.

Souji took aim again.

"Whoops!", Messiah Teddie giggled and submerged.

"Playing Whack-a-Mole, Souji-kun?", squealed Messiah Chie from the other side and ducked an attack by submerging into the ground.

"You're tooooo slow!", the Messiah in Kou's appearence chuckeld next and dodged an attack from the silverhaired fool as well before disappearing in the ground again.

Slightly panting and being on edge Souji looked around his surroundings and startled in shock as Messiah Naoto stood in front of him with her drawn pistol.

"Bang!", Messiah Naoto shouted and pulled the trigger.

Souji cried out in panic, tumbled backwards and fell ruggedly on the floor.

Messiah Naoto tilted her head to the side and grinned. "What's wrong? It was just a joke! There is no bullet inside, Souji-smoochie-pie!"

Souji looked at her with eyes wide open and soaking wet all over the face out of fear, before he got up, full of rage. Again, many beats rained down on his face from out of nowhere and he went down again.

"He cannot take a joke, this guy does! Tsk, tsk, tsk!", Messiah Naoto simply said, shaking her head, and disappeared into the ground.

Souji got up, slightly shaky again, while the whole Investigation Team now sprouted out of the ground.

"You have to understand, Souji-kun.", the whole Messiah Group said in unison, their voices echoing from everywhere. "Being locked here all the time can become very boring. One just _has_ to let off some steam." They drew the circle closer around Souji whose gaze grew more and more desperate. "You turned up at just the right time." Nearer and nearer they came towards him. "I'm sure we'll have sooo much fun together -."

Souji looked from one Messiah Member to the other. _`How the hell does he manage to split himself up in so many parts?´_, he asked himself, while trying to find a weak part in the circle they formed to escape. _`Who or what is he?´_  
"I already told you, I am the Messiah.", all Messiah Members suddenly replied.

Souji's eyes widenend. Did he just read his thoughts?

"*snrk*! Yes, something like that, Souji-kun -."  
Souji crunched his teeth and swung his weapon at the part that looked like Kou. The part disappeared in the ground and the silver-haired fool saw his chance. He started to run as fast as possible while the other parts still hadn't realised what had just happened. But after only a few centimetres he tumbled and fell ungently to the ground.

"What the...?", he panted when he collided with the ground and felt how something pulling him back into the circle of Messiah Parts. Still dizzy from the fall, he stared behind himself and noticed only now that silver string-like strands had wound themselves around his legs. _`When did they...? I hadn't even noticed that something had wrapped itself around me...´"_  
The strands pulled him to his feet ungently while the circle was closing again, and Messiah Kou emerged back from the ground.

"Not really nice of you, just wanting to leave like that, Souji-kun!", Messiah Chie whined.

"I mean, being locked up here all those years! Can you even imagine that?", Messiah Patty continued.

"One just loses all sense of time! You feel totally abandoned and alone!", Messiah Fuuka said.

"And now you just want get out and leave me alone! Shame on you!", Messiah Yosuke added. "I will be stuck in this prison all alone again! Not nice!"  
"Well, you probably must have done something to deserve it!", Souji spat.

"Tch!", all Investigation Team members said at the same time. "You stupid humans and your pathetic sense of justice!"  
Messiah Kanji shrugged. "What's so bad about doing what you want to do, huh?", he asked.

"In the end it's _that_ act - denying your true self - that leads to losing the control over the Shadows that turn against their original!", Messiah Yukiko hissed and nodded wisely.

"Some things are meant to be suppressed!", Souji reply as an answer. "If everybody just did what they wanted, our whole system would collapse!"  
"Pah!", Messiah Teddie hissed back. "You certainly have been well-conditionend and hypnotised by your superiors and the government, sensei!"  
"You humans are like chained animals that only do what they are allowed to do! But woe if you suddenly turn against that system. Noooo, never! Or else you will be imprisoned, like the nice Mister Tohru Adachi!", bustled Messiah Chie.

"Adachi and nice? Sorry but those are two words that simply don't fit together!", Souji disagreed. "What did Adachi ever do that can be regarded as good?"  
"He has never ignored his longings and locked them up with a golden key full of hypocrisy.", all Messiah Parts said in unison. "He wanted Yamano and later Konishi, so he gave in to his urge. They had both made him angry, so he gave in to his fury! Tohru Adachi is the perfect example for a perfect human being."  
Souji only stared disbelievingly at the parts.

"It's time that someone changes these things. One should be able to do whatever they please!", a distorted voice spoke from the ground that sounded a bit like Yosuke.

"Someone's taken your girl? Jus' kill him!", Messiah Kanji snarled.

"Your stupid mother wants to disinherit you? Just kill her!", Messiah Yukiko moaned.

"Your grandparents have been out to kill you for years? Just kill them!", Messiah Patty giggled maliciously.

"Stop it!", Souji hissed and slashed at the Messiah Parts which just disappeared into the ground before and returned again seconds later. Souji agitatedly stared from one part to the other. _`How does he do this? How does he split himself into so many parts? If I could only discover that!´, _he thought desperately. He let his gaze wander over the Messiah Crowd, looked down on his body which was still bound by all those strings which he didn't feel at all, and up to the sky. _`How does he do this?´_ He looked to the strings again. They seemed to extend from his body in all directions. Some led to the ground, while others- Souji's eyes widened while he followed the course of one of the strings with his eyes that went from the floor. The string led right to Messiah Kou!  
"EAT THIS!", Souji screamed the next moment, grapped his sword and thust it into said string.

Messiah Kou cried out in pain, fell to the ground and writhed around in all directions before he trickled in the ground as a black mass and did not appear again.

The other Messiah Parts tried to seize him at the same time, but it was too late already: Souji thrust his weapon into one string after another which was connected with the parts, and one after another dissolved screaming into the black matter.

Even the fact that all the strings that had wound themselves around Souji's body tightened and knocked him down could not prevent him from slashing at the strings while lying on the ground.

The moment he had destroyed all parts of the Messiahs the ground began to tremble heavyly. The strings which had wound themselves around Souji let go of him, and while he was slowly getting up, the ground seemed to be deforming and growing little by little some place ahead. From the constant growing form two arms, two legs and a head shot out and finally became a whole body that crashed to the ground and lay there panting.

Souji stood there for a moment, undeterminedly, before taking steps towards the person on the ground.

As if the figure knew that Souji had started moving, it made a wiping sort of movement in his direction. But Souji who now knew what exactly had attacked him over and over again now, dodged the strings that were thrown like whips at him with a side-step.

Appearing slightly unsteady and standing shakily on its feet, the figure who seemed to be fairly small got up from the ground.

"Humans...", the little creature said with a distorted and angry voice before it suddenly began to grow. "So arrogant and narcissistic! I could just vomit!", it went on, the voice now higher and more feminine.

"So you still prefer to veil your true face ?", Souji asked when he came to a halt in front of the Messiah who had now taken on the form of Noriko Kashiwagi.

Messiah Kashiwagi chucklingly covered her mouth with her hand and fluttered her eyelashes.

"But of course, Seta.", she said. "If you were to know already how I look, it wouldn't be fun at the end!"  
"At the end?", Souji repeated questioningly and tightend the grip on his sword fiercely. All the figures he had faced so far in this place had only been strings that had extended from the real Messiah. If the copies that the strings had created were already that strong, how strong would be original be?

"Well, I am talking about what is expected at the end of every good game.", Messiah Kashiwagi simply explained. "The last enemy, or rather the FINAL BOSS!".

Souji raised an eyebrow. "And you think you are this Final Boss?", he asked.

"But, of course.", replied Messiah Kashiwagi and nodded. "This is my game, after all, and you are my toys."  
"We are your toys...", Souji repeated, mumbling, and looked at him thoughtfully for a short moment before he smiled.

"...What?", Messiah Kashiwagi asked, puzzled.

"Thanks.", Souji said only.

"H-huh?"  
"This sentence just reminded me of something you had said to me during our first meeting.", Souji explained and grinnend even broader.

"Reminded you of what?", Messiah Kashiwagi asked dumbfoundedly, but Souji only grinned. "Stop grinning! This is a really stupid game!" Some strings whipped Souji to the ground, but the silver-haired fool only got up, grinning. "Stop grinning now and tell me what you mean!"  
"`You are a particular precious toy for me that I wouldn't kill that easily´, were your own words.", Souji replied with a note of triumph in his voice. "You may `play´ with me in here, but you can't kill me! You need me!"  
Messiah Kashiwagi stared speechlessly at him for some time before she looked really angry. Souji bowed to her like to say goodbye, turned on the spot and strode away.

"Where do you think you're going!", Messiah Kashiwagi hissed.

"Finding a way outside. Goodbye.", Souji simply answered.

The Messiah looked after him for a moment, puzzled, before he took on the form of Nanako, lifted of the ground and floated behind after Souji. "Get back right this instant, Big Bro!"  
"It's no use keeping up this game.", Souji said and painstakingly looked for a way outside. "You ruined it yourself. And now be a good little annoying brat and get back to your bed!"  
Messiah Nanako now floated directly beside him. "Stop, I said!", she spat. "You'll regret it!"  
"Hah, yeah... whatever!", Souji said and shrugged. "Punch me! Kick me! Do with me whatever you want! You can't harm me anymore, wimp!"  
Angry, the Messiah let several strings rain down on Souji like whips, but the silver-haired fool just continued on.

"You stubborn fool!", Messiah Nanako hissed.

"Same to you!", Souji replied half-heartedly and banged his head against something hard. "Ouch! Shit!", he cursed and rubbed his face. "What the hell have you done now?"  
"That wasn't me! You'd better watch next time where you're going, you blind idiot!", Messiah Nanako chuckled with larcenous joy.

Souji grumbled something incoherently and touched around blindly through the darkness until he felt something cold and hard. He ran his fingers over the surface and recognised it as something very huge. Like some kind of wall that prevented any advancement.

"That's where I'll have to go...", he mumbled.

"My goodness, this must feel reeeeaaally good if you are touching it the whole time!", Messiah Nanako giggled beside him.

"Silence!", Souji snapped at her and felt his way down the wall to the side until he seemed to have come to the end, because suddenly he felt air again. "This way..." He wanted to go on, but couldn't take another step as if an invisible barrier was standing in front of him. "What now, huh?" He looked angryly at the Messiah beside him.

"Like I said, that's not me.", Messiah Nanako merely replied, shrugging. "The gate may not be as long and tall as the whole area, but one can't go on nevertheless."  
"Gate?", Souji repeated puzzedly and felt for the cold something that he had mistaken for a wall.

"Yap, this is a gate.", Messiah Nanako said and clicked her fingers.

The next moment Souji was almost blinded when a golden light spread out slowly and lighted the dark place sparely. Slowly, very slowly he openend his eyes again which he had closed quickly, and stared at the golden gate from which the light seemed to originate.

"You see? A gate!", Messiah Nanako said and stared eagerly at Souji, waiting for his reaction.

"The gate... in which Minato Arisato's soul sleeps...", Souji mumbled and continued staring at the gate with huge eyes. "We... are standing in front of the gate?"  
"Nooooooo, stupid! We are _behind_ it!", Messiah Nanako corrected him joyfully. "We are right in the everlasting prison that Minato-kun created with this seal."

"Behind...", Souji repeated, gulping heavily and stared at the Messiah beside him. "... You are Nyx?"  
Messiah Nanako's grin widened even more and her face took on crazy features. "Alas, no.", she answered. "But..."  
The next moment Souji felt how several strings wound themselves gently around him.

"Not this again! Stop it!", Souji spat at her.

"I think we just awoke her with all our fighting and shouting, Souji-kun~."

"... Awoken whom?", Souji asked while an uneasy feeling spread inside his belly. He hadn't been able to feel he strings that had emanated from the Messiah at all. But those here were feeling so slimy like the ones that had surrounded him in the fight against Shadow Fuuka when she had taken on the form of Nyx.

The strings quickly wounded around his arms so that he couldn't struggle anymore.

"Nyx, of course.", Messiah Nanako replied happily and watched how Souji went to the ground with a jerk from the strings. "After all, it was her from whom I've copied that nice technique with those strings, you know!"  
"Y-", Souji began but couldn't continue, because the strings were wounding temselves around his face now and covered his mouth.

"Nyx is hungry, I guess.", Messiah Nanako said and floatingly followed Souji who was now pulled along over the ground against his will.

"Let's see how snootily and cynical you'll be able to remain when you are lying in front of Nyx herself, totally defenseless -."  
Souji looked up with a panicking gaze.

"Oooooh yes, so you understand! Contrary to me, Nyx doesn't need you!", Messiah Nanako giggled. "This is going to be soooo much fun!" She flew a bit nearer to Souji, but remained aloof so that the strings wouldn't grab her, too. "Beg a bit and maybe I'll get you out of there! Say `Help, Messiah-sama! Get me out of here and I'll lick your feet clean in tha-´" But she stopped. "Oh, that's right! Your mouth is covered right now! I suppose you can't beg that way! *snrk*" Her eyes flashed yellowishly. "Seems my fun's going to continue for quite a while~..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: This was translated by a good friend this time so this chapter may be written a bit different than usual. I just don't have the time to translate the story from German into English at the moment, sorry.**

**Thank you for your reviews, everyone!**


	83. Chapter 82: Hiro and Yosuke in action

_**Chapter 82: Hiro and Yosuke in action**_

**Author's notes: After forgetting God knows how many times to add battle themes, I've finally remembered to do so again. Here is the battle theme for this chapter: www[dot]youtube[dot]com /watch?v=mRGMWH4vJlE**

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Further and further the threads that originated from the newly awakened Nyx dragged Souji over the dark and filthy ground, the gate's golden shimmer just a pale glint in the distance now. Desperate, the silver-haired man looked up at the Messiah who was still posing as Nanako, and tried to look behind himself.

The darkness surrounding the two suddenly seemed to diminish, and the next moment Souji was jerkily pulled in the air, his body turned around 180 degree, so that he was now staring at Nyx' egg-like bright body where hundreds of those thread-like hands seemed to originate from. Messiah Nanako took some precautionary distance to avoid getting grabbed by one of those threads.

"Hiya there, Nyx! Having slept well?", Messiah Nanako asked the goddess happily, though the goddess seemed to take no notice of him and rather fully concentrated on the Fool in front of her eyes - did she even have eyes? -.

_`Damnit! I can't move at all!´_, Souji thought, trying in vain to break the hold the threads had on him. He threw a hasty glimpse towards the Messiah. _`He needs me, right? He can't just let me die. He said so himself! He just wants to see me cry like a little girl before he saves me... right?´_

With a queasy feeling in his gut and not really sure about his musings, he looked back to the goddess who was now making some strange noises. Souji just stared at her, slightly confused that even though all of her attention was now directed on him she had yet to make any attempts to kill him. Instead she'd rather make those weird noises.

The silver-haired Fool stared back at Messiah Nanako who had a rather sour look on her face, and back to Nyx.

_`What is...?´_ But his eyes widened as he continued to listen to noises Nyx was making. _`Morse codes?´_

He just gaped at the goddess while the threads around his face became loose. Apparently Nyx had tried to shut him up with those so that he wouldn't overhear her message for him with his inevitable screams. But... why?

He shook his head and instead of thinking about the `why´ just concentrated on understanding the message. Sure, he had learned a little bit about morse codes at school, but not so well that he could just easily interpret them.

"E...", he mumbled, trying to interpret the code. "... bi... su..." Noises he didn't understand followed. "Truth... be... hind... Truths... Bag..." More noises he just didn't get at all. "Ebisu... Truth behind Truths... Bag...", he repeated, staring in awe at the goddess of the night in front of him.

"Rrrrgh!", he could hear someone growl above him when seconds later an icy-cold storm seemed break loose over the area that silenced Nyx immediately and at the same time extinquished the light originating from her. The threads around Souji's body hurried back to its owner, and Souji who had fallen to the ground rather ungently due to that looked up at Messiah Nanako who had produced the storm and was snow screeching loudly.

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT IT!", the Messiah yelled hysterically, the storm turning into deepest darkness that surrounded everyone and everything, until Souji couldn't see a thing anymore.

There was absolute silence for a moment, then suddenly Souji could hear someone wheezing near him; probably the Messiah who was close to hyperventilating now.

"Can't... believe... she'd do that... instead of... trying to eat you alive...", Souji could hear the Messiah gasp with Yosuke's voice. He thought he could make out the silhouette of a small person close to him.

Strange... The Messiah was talking with Yosuke's voice now, but at the moment he was just as tall as a little child...

"So even... the great Nyx... is so scared of him... that she'd even... warn an idiot like you... huh?"

"Ebisu...", Souji mumbled. "Truth behind Truths... and a bag... Or did she mean `Bagman´?" If only he'd understood more! _`Ebisu...´_ He knew Ebisu was a god in Japanese mythology, but nothing more... _`All of the gods are living in hiding among us, according to Adachi. If I could find that Ebisu, then maybe-´_

"Ah ah ah! Is someone trying to destroy his brain by thinking too much about things?", the Messiah suddenly laughed right next to him.

Souji looked down at his feet where several threads had wrapped themselves around him. "Stop reading my thoughts!", he snarled, swatted the threads aside like flies and glared at a point where he expected the Messiah to stand or float or whatever he was currently doing. "Which god is Ebisu exactly?", he asked.

"*Snrk*...", was the Messiah's only answer, now with Yukiko's voice. "God?... Aha... hhahahahaha... That's sooo funny!"

"Wha-?"

"... Sensei?"

Souji looked up in puzzlement. Teddie's voice?

"Hmm?", Messiah Yukiko hummed questioningly, apparently sensing Souji's confusion, and wrapped some threads around his body. "Oh, I see! Seems you're slowly regaining consciousness!"

"Just shut up for a second! I think I can hear him mumbling something in his sleep!" That was Akihiko's voice!

"So the only way for you to get here is by being connected with my two polar opposites while being unconscious...", Messiah Yukiko mumbled, lost in thought. "And you can only get back by regaining consciousness... So no ticket out of here for me... at least for now..."

And suddenly the voice's of his friends seemed to be getting louder and louder while the area around him became more and more blurred and foggy, until-

~.~.~.~.~.~

"Ugh!"

With a start Souji sat up without warning inside the nearly completely destroyed training hall of the Kirijo Group and bumped his head really hard against Teddie's.

"Shit!", he groaned and sank back to the ground, head hurting even more now, while whined loudly and announced that his head had to be amputated right now.

Souji sat up again, this time more carefully, and out of the corners' of his eyes he saw Yosuke lying motionlessly on the ground near him, next to him Hiro who was unconscious as well.

"What...?", he started slowly and looked from one friend to the other, all of them looking quite worn out. He let his gaze wander back to Yosuke while Rise whimpered and sank to the ground. "I remember that... Hiro'd started going berserk due to the Neo Evoker. And then... then..."

"Yosuke's stopped him.", Chie who looked the worst of all of them explained. Her whole body was full of bruises and gashes.

"Yosuke did...?", Souji repeated, puzzled.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Flashback:

"How are they?", Rise asked who was hovering over Souji, Yosuke and Chie who had all been knocked out by Hiro's attack at once.

"They're still breathing, at least.", Akihiko merely answered while he, Mitsuru and Ken concentrated on healing them.

"Sensei...", Teddie who was kneeling behind Souji sniffed.

"Such unbelievable strength.", Naoto said, her intent gaze on the trees a little bit away from them where Hiro was imprisoned by the tendrils Fuuka had summoned.

"What exactly's happened to Hiro?", Patty asked Mitsuru, completely devastated.

"I... I don't know.", Mitsuru replied, just as distraught as her. "Something like that should have never happened. Evoker or Neo Evoker, both of them are only meant to call forth the users Potential, their Body Energy! This wasn't supposed to happen!"

Fuuka let her slightly glassy gaze wander through the hall until it stopped at the ceiling. "It felt like something has interfered...", she mumbled. "Maybe it was just a coincidence that Hiro had used the Neo Evoker at that same moment...?"

"Someone's interfered? But... This training was completely secret!", Ken opined.

"Bagman saw us at the gate...", Akihiko said grimly.

"We had been driving in a limousine that had been constantly changing directions. I don't think he could have been able to follow us.", Naoto objected.

"And I have the utmost confidence that my employees are loyal to me.", Mitsuru added.

Naoto suddenly looked up in shook and turned to Fuuka: "Yamagishi-sensei, does Sideu-kun has some sort of bugging device on him?"

Fuuka's gaze turned glassy again while she inspected Hiro a few moments.

"No.", she finally answered and groaned the next moment when Hiro tried gathering his powers again in order to break free.

"Fuuka!", Junpei shouted in slight panic.

"It's... alright... I've got him... under control...", Fuuka wheezed, face contorted in concentration.

"This isn't good. I don't think she'll be able to keep this up much longer!", Yukiko said.

"Certainly not.", Mitsuru agreed, tension evident in her voice.

"Should I just finish him off?", Akihiko asked, Neo Evoker raised.

"No!", Patty protested and jumped in front of him. "He's my cousin! You can't just-"

"Not kill him, Sideu! Punch him unconscious!", Naoto explained to her.

"Oh..."

"Aaaagh!", Fuuka suddenly screamed when the tendrils that had been holding Hiro in check where torn apart, and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Shit!", Kanji snarled and had just been able to take on a fighting stance when Hiro were already near them, grabbed Patty and threw her to the side, only to immediately jump at Ken milliseconds later. Mitsuru jumped between those two and held her rapier in front of Ken so that Hiro hit the weapon instead. Having been hit by Hiro's fist, the rapier began vibrating wildly and burst asunder seconds later, Mitsuru being thrown backwards by the backslash.

"Cutie pie's next!", Hiro yelled, turned around and jumped at a horrified Akihiko who did manage to raise his fists to defend himself, but was knocked down to the ground nevertheless. "Next!"

Hiro started charging at Yukiko, but didn't notice that Chie had just now regained consciousness due to all the ruckus. The brunette shot forwards, let herself fall to the ground and kicked at Hiro's shin, the brown-haired man falling down to the ground with a loud groan.

Two huge Agidyne attacks thrown by Junpei and Koromaru and one Ziodyne attack by Ken whirled the brown-haired student through the hall until he crashed against a wall.

"Watch out...!", Mitsuru gasped from her position on the ground. "The hall's going to collapse if you keep that up! We're going to be buried alive!"

"Sorry, but we can't stop pounding him into submission just because of that!", Junpei answered and aimed for Hiro again who was already standing again and grabbing trees nearby which he threw after the group.

"Fuck! What is that guy, Superman?", Kanji shouted and managed just in time to dodge a treetop that was thrown his way.

"That's high-level alchemy that is being created through combining Body Energy and Mind Energy! Nothing is impossible with that!", Mitsuru warned. "That is exactly why I had wanted to train you all! If you manage to control both energies, you'll be able to let loose something like that as well, just like Yamagishi already did!"

Rocks were thrown next and crashed against the walls with a blood-curdling sound. Said walls collapsed one after another and covered the whole hall with debrise and dust.

"AAH!", Chie could suddenly be heard shouting in pain.

"Chie?", Yukiko screamed, panic-stricken, not being able to see anything through the sea of dust.

More screams of agony could be heard from Chie, accompanied by Hiro's hysterical voice: "Kicking me to the ground, huh? You think you're Bruce Lee in person or something like that? Huh? HUH!"

The dust slowly cleared, and the friends could see Hiro near the remains of the forest area who was bend over Chie who was lying on the ground, punching her with his bare fists again and again.

"Stop it!", Yukiko and Kou shouted in unison and stormed towards him, closely followed by the rest of the group.

Hiro turned around when heard the loud bluster of the nearing group that was already preparing their next attacks. The grin that had been adorning his face this whole time had now vanished and been replaced by a grimace full of fury that only intensified when his gaze landed on them

"You stay out of this!", he snarled and made a swishing motion with one hand as if he wanted to swat away an especially annoying fly. It seemed as if the air itself had been ripped open and torn into two parts the next moment, both parts flying towards the friends who were thrown backwards through the wrecked training hall. "And back to you!", Hiro said and turned back to Chie who was panting rather heavily and holding her hands in defense in front of her while Hiro continued hitting her like crazy.

"... Ch... Chie...?" Slowly and with a quiet moan of pain, his body feeling like every bone had been crushed, Yosuke - who had finally regained consciousness - reared up a bit and looked at Chie who was cowering on the ground, Hiro hovering over her. "Chie..." He stared at Souji who was lying unconscious next to him, Teddie not far away trying to do his best to get the others back on their feet without his healing skills.

Yosuke tried to sit up so that he could storm over and help Chie, but his body just wouldn't obey.

Hiro grabbed Chie's left arm and started twisting it in all directions until a loud CRACK could be heard.

A blood-curdling scream echoed through the hall the next moment.

"Chi... e..." Another attempt to stand up ended with Yosuke crashing head-first to the ground, tasting grass, earth and blood. "Ugh... Pfft!" Groaning, he spat out the earth he had swallowed involuntarily and stared helplessly at Chie.

"Stop it already!", he could hear Yukiko beg while Akihiko and Ken - who were back on their feet - launched another attack.

"I said, YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!", Hiro barked and attacked those two with the same wind attack.

"Shit!", Akihiko cursed as he and Ken were thrown through the air, and he let go of his Neo Evoker in the process which flew through the air and finally hit Yosuke's forehead.

"Ugh...", the music-loving man moaned, about to lose consciousness again. Another scream of pain from Chie made him open his eyes in an instant again. Like in trance, he grabbed Akihiko's Neo Evoker with shaking hands. "... Pers... Persona...", he wheezed and held the Evoker against his temple.

Nothing happened...

"STOP!", Yukiko screamed when Hiro grabbed Chie's other arm.

"Persona...", Yosuke tried again, his voice close to begging now.

"AAAAAH!", Chie screamed at the top of her lungs.

"STOP IT ALREADY, YOU SON OF A BITCH! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT BACK THEN WHEN I'D SAID TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!", Yosuke yelled and through his anger and confusion - what had he just said? - managed to finally stand up. _`'Do whatever he want'? When did I ever say...?´_

Hiro turned around in shock when he heard those words and stared at Yosuke, still gripping Chie's right arm. His shocked demeanour changed back to a condescending sneer. "Ooooh! You're awake!" He stared at the Neo Evoker that Yosuke was holding against his temple again. "Hah! What can mere comic relief like you even hope to accomplish? Oh, please!" His gaze turned from condescending to confused when a fain, blue light started forming around Yosuke's body.

"Persona...", Yosuke wheezed again.

Nothing happened.

"Ahahahaha!", Hiro laughed out loud. "Useless!"

Yosuke gnashed his teeth, the hand holding the Evoker shaking more and more.

Hiro started pulling at Chie's arm again, the brunette screaming and howling.

"STOP!", Yosuke screamed, the blue light winning in intensity.

"Yosuke, get away from there already, man!", he could hear Junpei shouting, already on his way together with the others to attack Hiro again.

"Yeah, get out of the way, idiot!", Hiro cackled.

The friends now pushed Yosuke to the side as they stormed towards Hiro, only to be thrown back again together with Yosuke.

"Tch..." Hiro turned back to Chie again, not noticing that Yosuke was standing up again.

Yosuke was gathering all of his remaining strength and held the Evoker against his temple a third time, the light surrounding his whole body now. "O... Tel..."

It was as if a giant bomb had exploded inside the hall. One moment the hall was filled with Hiro's laugh and Chie's screams, the next moment a loud BANG could be heard when Yosuke pulled the trigger, followed by a gigantic detonation that went off right above Hiro's head.

"What the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck?", Junpei screamed in shock when he and the others were thrown to the side due to the enormous energies that had been set free, and managed to hold onto one of the few trees that were still standing. Seconds later, those trees were uprooted as well and smashed against the remaining walls. Windows crashed into thousand pieces due to the energy shock, rocks were thrown around and destroyed the rest of the fassade; nearly the whole training hall fell apart in that huge chaos of things flying virtually everywhere.

And suddenly there was silence again, only shortly interrupted by two bodies - Yosuke and Hiro's - hitting the ground.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Present:

There was a long and prominent silence in the remains of the Kirijo Group's training hall after Akihiko had ended his report about what had happened after Souji had lost consciousness. Unbelieving and with huge eyes Souji stared at the still unconscious Yosuke.

Finally he let his gaze wander toward Mitsuru. "And what about Hiro? Why did he start going crazy?", he asked.

Mitsuru only shook her head.

"Tch..." Souji stared at the brown-haired man. If he regained consciousness and started going berserk again, they surely wouldn't be able to stop him that easily again. Should they just restrain him somehow?

_**Somehow**__ is the right word...´_, Souji thought, grumbling. _`How exactly do you restrain someone like that?´_

He sighed and looked back at Mitsuru "I have some news as well..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Ebisu...", Naoto mumbled after Souji had finished telling his adventure while SEES looked rather grim now.

"Who the hell's Ebisu?", Kanji asked.

"A deity known in Japan.", Naoto explained to him. "He was Izanami's first child."

Yukiko stared at her. "So... Ebisu is Izanagi and Izanami's child?", she asked.

"Exactly. Although he was first known as `Hiruko´.", Naoto replied and nodded. Some of them shortly stared at Hiro when she mentioned the name `Hiruko´. "Hiruko - or Ebisu - was born as a cripple, without bones and arms, his whole body deformed. Due to the condition he was in, his parents cast him to the sea in a boat of reeds before his third birthday."

"How cruel...", Patty said sadly.

"But he was found by a man named Ebisu Saburo and was raised by him. He got his name from that man.", Naoto continued to explain. "Ebisu is often referred to as `The Laughing God´ and always carries a fishing pole around with him."

"Why should Nyx do all that just to mention someone like him? Doesn't sound really all that important, that guy, I mean.", Junpei opined and scratched his goat-beard.

"Hmm...", Naoto merely hummed, lost in thought again.

"You're sure that creature calling itself `Messiah´ is trapped behind the gate, Souji-san?", Ken asked.

"Absolutely sure.", Souji replied and nodded. "I've seen the gate's backside with my own eyes."

"And considering your explanations, that being is even stronger than Sideu-kun.", Mitsuru said. Next to her Junpei gulped rather audibly.

"But... how did that thing even end up over there?", Chie asked. "Minato Arisato's soul is acting as a seal, isn't it? Nobody should be able to get to the other side after a lock that strong has been affixed to it. Or am I just saying stupid things again?"

Akihiko stared at her for a moment before his gaze darkened considerably. "Did that thing... have yellow eyes?", he asked Souji.

"Yes... I think so.", the silver-haired Fool answered.

"Do you... Do you think it could have been a Shadow?", Akihiko continued to question him.

"What... exactly are you trying to say, Akihiko?", Mitsuru asked him.

"Shadow Minato...", Naoto mumbled. Akihiko nodded.

Mitsur's eyes widened. Junpei made a rather strange noise. Koromaru growled. Fuuka held her hands before her mouth and Ken's eyes went glassy.

"Shadow Minato...", Mitsuru repeated and looked to the ground.

"But...", Chie tried again. "A Shadow is always someone's true self! I didn't get the impression Minato was like that when SEES told us about him!"

"... Because they never knew the real Minato...", Souji mumbled quietly, although not quiet enough. Mitsuru and Naoto threw deathglares at him while Fuuka just hung her head low in misery. "Anyway... I don't know if it's a Shadow or not. I'm not a sensory type like Rise, after all.", Souji hurriedly said. "But... Well, even I could feel that there was something wrong with that thing. It just felt... empty."

"Empty?", Rise repeated questioningly.

"I... can't really describe it.", Souji said and shook his head, only to jump up in shock when he suddenly head someone groaning behind him.

"... ie...", they could hear Yosuke moaning from the ground, eyes slightly opening. "Ch... ie..."

Chie's face went beet-red while Kou glared at nothing in particular, annoyed.

Yosuke tried to sit up, but fell to the ground again. "Chie...?", he wheezed again.

"I-I'm here...", Chie said and slowly took some steps towards him.

"Oh... good...", Yosuke sighed in relief and stopped his new attempt to stand up.

Chie only stared at him for a while with watery eyes before she yelled as loud as she could: "YOU FUCKING IDIOT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING THERE, TRYING TO FIGHT THAT PSYCHO WHILE YOU CAN'T EVEN STAND STRAIGHT! YOU JUST WANTED TO PLAY THE HERO, HUH! BAKAMURA! I HATE YOU!"

Yosuke merely smiled from his place on the ground at her, and Chie started crying like crazy.

Akihiko sighed, feeling fatigued. "Let's just... Let's just get out of here and go back to university for now. Hanamura, Sideu and Satonaka have to be brought to the hospital ward there."

"I don't need to go to...!", Chie began defiantly, but whimpered seconds later when she had moved her probably broken arm during her protest.

"Uh huh, sure...", Akihiko said with disbelief in voice, threw the still unconscious Hiro over his shoulder and started walking through one of the destroyed walls towards the limousine that had hopefully been spared.

"'m still confused nobody's called the cops yet.", Kanji wondered while throwing Yosuke over his shoulder as well despite his protests - "THAT'S GAY, DUDE! STOP THAT! NO! AAAAAH!" - and carrying him outside.

"This area is far away from town. I don't think anybody's noticed anything.", Ken assured him, walking outside together with the others.

"... Mitsuru-senpai?", Fuuka asked the Kirijo Groups president who was still standing still.

"Do you remember one of the vague theories we had found in my grandfather's research data?", Mitsuru asked her, staring at nothing in particular.

"Huh? You mean the ones we had mentioned during our drive here?"

"As long as a person's soul still exists, the three energies of that person will continue to exist as well and try to gather around the soul. I mean that theory.", Mitsuru replied and started shaking slightly.

"Oh..."

"But... what happens when the soul is trapped somewhere and the energies can't gather around it? What do you think happens then?", Mitsuru asked and looked at her.

Fuuka stared at her for a moment before her eyes widened. "Minato's soul is trapped...! You think...!"

"Yes...", Mitsuru replied. "The thing that Souji has met over there could be one of them."

Fuuka held her hands in front of her mouth in shook.

"And according to his report only that... that thing and Nyx were there.", Mitsuru continued. "This means that the other two could still be wandering around."

"What if the thing that Souji-kun has met there is the weakest of those three?", Fuuka asked, a bit scared now.

"Then may god have mercy on us..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Thank you for your reviews!**

**ShinigamiSparda: Wow, that was a really looong review! Thank you very much! ^^ My reply to your review is pretty long as well, so I'll just send it as a PM to you.**


	84. Chapter 83: Ikas' short return: Hate

_**Chapter 83: Ikas' short return - Hiro Hate Version**_

_**Author's notes: It's that time again! Choose which version you want to read!**_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Hah, must feel great to sleep in the rain like that, old fart!"

Slightly disorientated Mr. Bagman perceived his surroundings after the condescending voice had woken him up. He was lying on the roof of a nearly completely destroyed building, the rain falling down relentlessly.

"How did I...?", he mumbled and looked around in confusion until he spotted the person that had woken him up. "Did you bring me hear, my dear?"

"Keep dreaming, old fart! I wouldn't even touch you with a ten foot pole, except to kill you!", the person replied with disgust in their voice.

"Goodness, aren't we rather aggressive today!", Mr. Bagman opined, hectically grabbed the cane next to him like a life line and stood up shakily. "What exactly are we doing here?"

"Heh! I don't know what _you_ have been doing here, but _I_ have watched those idiots beat the crap out of each other! `Secret meeting place where nobody'll bee able to eavesdrop´ my ass!", the person replied, and a grin spread all over their face. "Was a bit boring to watch the events down there, but Hiro-kun managed to liven up things a bit in the end. A very good orchestration from you, old man! I even got to see something very interesting!" The person's eyes seemed to glow while uttering the words `something very interesting´.

"... What do you mean, my child?", Mr. Bagman asked, slightly puzzled.

The person stared at him, just as startled. "... You made Sideu go crazy like that, didn't you?", they said.

Silence between the two of them...

"Don't even pretend you didn't! I saw you sneaking around here and doing some kind of hocus pocus shortly before Sideu went berserk!"

Mr. Bagman only continued to stare at them in confusion. "As I've already told you, I don't know what you're talking about.", the old man finally said and let his gaze wander of the destroyed building. "I don't know where we are, and I certainly don't know what has happened here."

The person shortly stared at him in disbelief before they threw a ball of energy at him. An apparitional figure appeared right in front of Mr. Bagman - who was still looking around and ignoring the person -, protecting him, and dissipated into thin air with a wailing scream when the ball hit it.

"Hmm...", the person hummed. "So you're really Baggy. I almost thought you'd gotten a doppelganger or something like that."

"Doppelganger? Humph! I'm quite unique, my child!", Mr. Bagman grumbled.

"Then what was all that mumbling about when you were walking around here, huh? Were you sleepwalking or what?", the person snapped back.

"Not that I know.", Mr. Bagman replied and finally looked back at the person. "Very strange, all that..."

"Maybe you've just got Alzheimer's disease and can't remember because of that!", the person laughed and turned around, about to walk away.

A short knock with the cane on the ground, and some of the remains of the building's roof formed into a huge sword that ran through the person's chest in a matter of seconds.

"Ugh...", the person managed to groan before they sank to the ground and lay there motionlessly.

"Not really nice to make fun of one's age.", the old professor said, looking quite choked, and stared up at the starry sky.

Some minutes went by before the person suddenly started moving again and stood up. Groaning, they pulled out the sword - on which were absolutely no traces of blood -, the wound already beginning to heal.

"That was my favourite shirt, you bastard!"

"Humph, so my assumptions were right.", Mr. Bagman said and sighed. "I had already wondered why you would be so foolish as to meet alone with me time and again. You've made some precautions as well."

"Many years ago, actually.", the figure replied. "I'm practically just as immortal as you are, old fart."

"Then why are you so intent on going through with this foolish plan? I don't really understand why you would choose to try and steal someone's soul, my child.", Mr. Bagman said. "Why would you give up your immortality like that? Why are you so intent on becoming h-"

"That's none of your business!", the figure snarled, ready to disappear into the ground.

"I would have to disagree with you on that.", the old professor talked back. "But that's only if you want me to help you, of course..."

"... Huh?" The person turned around. "What?"

A malicious grin started spreading over Mr. Bagman's face. "Do you remember my answer to you asking me to join you?"

"You just couldn't because as a Shadow you have to follow your original's wishes.", the figure remembered.

"Exactly.", Mr. Bagman agreed, nodding, and his eyes sparkled yellow. "Yet... what would you say when I've managed to defy this force more and more?"

"What...? That's impossible!", the person said, a little tense now. "A Shadow always reflects the true self, now matter if he wants to or not! You can't-"

"I most certainly _can_! My original was a fool who managed to seal away his true self into that ridiculous diary more and more!", Mr. Bagman snarled heatedly. "And it was exactly this foolish action that enables me to defy his wishes! The more I destroy of that pathetic book, the more I can defy him!"

"Diary? What diary?"

"That doesn't matter, my dear.", Mr. Bagman answered.

"The only thing that matters is that there will be only one driving force remaining that binds me to my original once I've utterly deleted everything inside that diary: Miki. Once I've solved that problem as well, I'm finally and completely free!" His grin turned very hateful. "There are several people among that bothersome Investigation Team and SEES that I would just love to see writhe in pain. So what would you say if I joined you after I have completed my final mission concerning Miki?"

"`You got yourself a deal!´, is what I'd normally say, but..." The figure stared at him with distrust in their eyes. "There's gotta be a catch about it, right?"

Mr. Bagman smiled in amusement. "Oooh yes, you're very clever, my child. Very smart, indeed!", he said and nodded while staring up at the sky again. "There is a... certain chess piece that I have... `created´ in my haste to stop you. It would... well, let's say... `hinder´ me once I'm ready to strike."

"Tohru Adachi."

"Exactly." Mr. Bagman nodded. "You've managed to position good old Namatame as a counter measure, but the prison's director had been able to ensure that Namatame couldn't too anything too drastic to him so far." He sighed. "But now I just don't have any need for Tohru Adachi anymore. He is rather troublesome to me now, I'd say."

"Then just kill him.", the person said, shrugging.

"I can't do that. At least not until my final mission is finished.", Mr. Bagman disagreed. "And it's exactly during that mission - when I need Nanako Dojima - that Adachi will be in my way more than ever."

"So what do you plan to do?", the person asked him.

Mr. Bagman only continued to stare at the sky for a few moments before he finally spoke: "... The moment I enter the TV world and focus all of my powers on Nanako Dojima and Miki, my control over the director will be severely weakened. Namatame will be able to do anything he wants."

"So you want him to kill Adachi?"

"Yes."

"My reward for that will be you helping me?"

"Correct."

Silence, then...

"I'm in, old fart!", the figure chuckled before they disappeared into the ground, heading towards Tanaba University.

Mr. Bagman only continued to stare at the stars, gaze dreamy and glassy. "Just a little bit more to go... until semester breaks are over, I'd say... Then... I'll finally be free...", he whispered longingly.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Hiro woke up and without any warning at all. It took him some seconds to realize where he was. He suddenly said up next to Patty on whose lap his had had lied the whole time.

"Whoa!", Yosuke screamed in shock and nearly fell down from his seat.

"Sideu...", Akihiko grumbled.

"... Huh?" Hiro looked around in confusing, rapidly blinking his eyes. "Where... Where are we?"

"In Mitsuru-san's limousine.", Patty explained, voice gentle.

Hiro stared at her and tilted his head slightly to the side. "... Huh?"

Mitsuru sighed deeply. "So guessing from the the way you're acting, you can't remember what happened?"

"Of course I can!", Hiro disagreed and pouted like a child, jumping up and down on his seat. "We were all in that huge hall to have some fun, and I'd taken little doggy here for a walk!"

Naoto grumbled in disbelief at Hiro's alteration of him abusing Koromaru.

"Then Naoto-chan'd thrown her Evoker at me, and the rest I can't really remember anymore.", Hiro continued and scratched his head. "Oh yeah! I think I'd knocked myself out when I'd tried to summon a Persona with my Evoker! And next thing I know I'd woken up here." He nodded, proud of himself. "Yeah, that's exactly what happened! Sooo, do I get a cookie for remembering now?"

The others just stared at him in disbelief.

"Nope. Can't remember a thing.", Junpei finally said and rolled his eyes.

"I just told you, I can-", Hiro protested.

"Sideu!", Naoto snarled.

"Yes, Nao-chan?"

"Shut up. RIGHT NOW!"

"You got it, Nao-chan!"

Naoto let out an annoyed scream.

"Could you at least explain to us how you got those powers, Sideu-kun?", Mitsuru asked him after a short moment of hesitance.

Hiro just stared at her.

"Don't wanna talk about it, huh?", Akihiko asked.

Hiro shook his head.

"No? `No´, what?", Akihiko asked, slightly grumbling.

Hiro tilted his head towards Patty and whispered something to her. Patty stared at him in disbelief.

"What's wrong?", Fuuka asked, slightly unsure.

"Naoto told him to shut up, so that's exactly what he's going to do.", Patty relayed her cousin's message to them.

"SIDEU!", Naoto yelled through the limousine.

"I don't know where I got those powers.", Hiro finally calmy explained, the pills in his trouser pocket feeling especially heavy now, and looked out of the window in disinterest, signaling that the discussion was over for him.

"... I don't know if it may help to understand Hiro-kun, but...", Patty began and stared at Hiro for help who only continued to stare outside the window. "I've met him for the first time when I had been four years old. Hiro had lived somewhere else before that. Nobody but my grandparents know where he'd lived before."

"He hadn't lived with you in the mansion at first?", Yukiko repeated, puzzled.

"Well..." Another look at Hiro who just ignored her. "Hiro's parents both died shortly after he had been born, that much I know. And you know how my grandparents are." The others nodded, remembering how they had tried to poison Patty because she didn't fullfil their expectations as a member of the Sideu family. "Maybe they sent him away because of that. I don't know." She sighed. "Anyway, anything could have happened to him during that time. I don't even want to think about it." She led her sat gaze wonder to Hiro again who was currently making faces at the people outside.

"Well, he certainly seems to have a rather huge personality disorder.", Naoto said and leaned back in her seat, giving up on getting a satisfactory explanation.

Mitsuru threw a meaningful look at Fuuka who nodded with a pale face and looked outside the window as well.

_`Hiro-kuns's powers...´_, the Informatics Professor thought while her body started shaking a bit. _`Hiro-kun was someone who Minato-kun had known in the past... If our assumptions are correct and the three energies remain as long as the soul exists, then Hiro-kun could be...´_

"Are you cold?", Junpei suddenly asked next to her.

"H-huh?" Fuuka looked at him, puzzled.

"You're shivering like crazy!"

"O-oh, yeah.", she answered and nodded shakily. "A bit. But it's alright. We're almost at the university."

"Ugh! And I've still got several reports on my desk that I have to go through tonight!", Akihiko sighed.

"Haha! And I can just happily walk back home and fall into my bed! Yap, certainly got it's advantages to being just an unimportant janitor that hasn't come to work on Sundays!", Junpei laughed gloatingly.

Akihiko only grumbled.

"I would like to inspect the PC once again before I go home.", Fuuka said. "Of course, I need one of directors' approval before that."

"Do as you wish.", Akihiko said, nodding. "I don't think you'll be able to find anything there anymore, but better be save than sorry."

"Good. Then I'll drive the rest of you back home.", Mitsuru said.

"Aww, Senpai! You're such a nice woman! Akihiko-senpai must be sooo happy to have you", Junpei said, grinning from ear to ear, earning himself a glare from the youn director.

~.~.~.~.~.~

It was already near dawn when the limousine arrived at Tanaba University and the Investigation Team, Akihiko and Fuuka exited the car and sleepily walked up to the entrance, all of them headed towards the PC, as suggested by Souji.

Should Fuuka be able to find anything, all of them would immediately know and could arrange for some last meeting to discuss the things found, if necessary.

"Wh-what is...?", Fuuka gasped the moment she took a step through the entrance gate, and stopped.

"What's wrong, Fuuka?", Akihiko asked and turned around to her in confusion.

All colour was drained from Fuuka's face immediately. "What... What happened here while I was away?", she stammered, eyes getting huger by the moment.

"... Yamagishi-sensei?", Naoto asked.

Fuuka hectically looked around the campus, her gaze wandering over the university's buildings, and finally sank to the ground, completely exhausted.

"Fuuka!", Akihiko shouted and knelt beside her. "What's wrong? Are you still not feeling alright?"

"Tired...", Fuuka managed to gasp.

"Tired? Would you rather go home first?", Akihiko asked her.

"N-no...", Fuuka yawned and managed to slowly stand up again. "So tired... What is...?"

"Sensei, what exactly's wrong?", Chie asked her.

"This feeling... This aura... It's making me feel... so absolutely tired...", Fuuka stammered while yawning again and again.

The others looked at her in puzzlement while Souji's eyes widened.

"I've been... pretty tired lately, too...", he mumbled.

"Huh?" Kanji looked at him questioningly.

"You as well, Chie! You told me today during our training! You said you just wanted to go to bed and sleep, sleep, sleep!", he said to Chie who nodded, dumb-founded. "I was always so damn tired! And it'd started shortly after we saved Fuuka-san!", Souji said, slowly realizing what was going on, and hit his forehead. "I should have realized it much sooner! Every time I've left the university in order to babysit or work at Nikita's, I've been wide awake again!"

"... Nikita?", Yukiko inquired, Yosuke making a squeaking sound in terror.

"But everytime I returned to university, I felt like I hadn't slept in days!", Souji continued, ignoring Yukiko's question, and stared at Fuuka. "Of course Fuuka-san would be influenced by it especially strong due to her Persona!"

"... Yeah. Now that you mention it, I really _did_ feel pretty tired these last few weeks... I thought it was because of how much I've been studying and all that...", Kou remembered.

The others nodded.

"Where's it coming from, Fuuka?", Akihiko asked the Informatics Professor who was leaning against him now and trying with all her might not to fall asleep.

"F-from everywhere... The whole university is infected with it...!", Fuuka gasped and suddenly screamed in shock the next moment. "She's here!"

"Who is?", Kanji asked.

"Ito-san! She's... at the university! I can feel her!", Fuuka groaned.

"Where?", Naoto asked her, immediately on alert.

"Near Souji, Yosuke and Teddie's lounge...", Fuuka managed to gasp out before she fell asleep.

Naoto immediately started sprinting, followed by Souji and the others.

"Good work, Fuuka...", Akihiko only said and smiled at Fuuka who was snoring slightly. He gently layed her on one of the benches on the campus and threw his jacket over her body so that she wouldn't get too wet from the rain, then followed the others.

"Good work? I think not...", someone said the next moment from the ground when Mr. Bagman suddenly appeared from there and discontentedly stared after Akihiko. His gaze wandered to the soundly sleeping Fuuka, and he violently ripped the jacket to the side. "Yamagishi-san, that was were naughty of you! No, really!" His gaze traveled up her legs, over her torso and finally stopped at her neck. "No matter how much I place into trying to hide the circle, you just always _have_ to a naughty girl and find it! Humph!" His hands stretched towards her and tightened around her neck. "Naughty, disobedient girls must be punished..." Fuuka started wheezing, not getting enough air anymore. "This is for your own good, my dear..."

But the next moment something like a photo that showed a smiling Mr. Bagman standing next to Fuuka together with the rest of the university's professors flashed in front of his eyes, and he howled in pain. His hands immediately let go of Fuuka while he wobbled backwards, away from her. "Ugh... Why...? Just because her memory still exists in the diary?", he growled and stared at her in anger. "Why do my original's feelings _always_ have to get in my way!" He stalked toward her again, but all he was able to do was gently pet her cheeks in a fatherly way. "Damn you, Yosufu Bagman... Why did you have to have fatherly feelings for this brat that is able to sense my circle...", he snarled before disappearing into the ground again.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Ikas Ito who was standing in front of the entrance door to Souji, Yosuke and Teddie's lounge whirled around in shock when she heard Naoto's loud shouts of "IKAS ITO!".

"Y-you all...", she stammered in fear, her glasses nearly falling down from her nose the way her whole body was shaking, and took some steps backwards.

"You're finally showing yourself here again? Who exactly was going to be your next victim, huh?", Naoto snarled and angrily stalked towards her. "Hanamura-senpai? Seta-senpai? Or Teddie?"

"Wh-wha-what ar-a-are you talking ab-about, Na-Na-Na-Naoto-san?", Ikas spluttered. "I-I just wa-wanted Yo-o-Yosuke-san to-"

"So it was going to be Hanamura-senpai!", Naoto interrupted her.

"Naoto-", Yosuke tried to get a word in, not really feeling all that comfortable about accusing Ikas.

"Well, I'm sorry to inform you, Ito-san, but your plan would have backfired since Hanamura-senpai's already faced his Shadow!", Naoto just continued shouting.

"Sh-Sh-Shadow?", Ikas repeated, dumbfounded, shivering more and more.

"Stop faking already and tell us why you're doing all of this!", Naoto barked at her.

"I-I don't know wha-what you're ta-talking about!", Ikas screamed hysterically and with a far too high-pitched voice, and stormed away from them the next moment.

"You're not getting away again!", Naoto yelled and ran after her, the other right behind her.

Several doors were thrown open and students who had heard the ruckus came sleepily out of their lounges.

"Ugh! Out of my way!", Naoto snapped, pushed each and everyone who got in her way to the side, Ikas nearly lost in the crowd as she stormed toward the hallway that led to the exit.

"Please, Ikas! Let's talk about this!", Yosuke desperately shouted after her.

Finally having managed to get through the crowd of confused students and having reached the exit, the friends looked around. Two hallways - three if one counted the one from were they had been coming from - lead away from the exit. Those hallways split into several other hallways, some of them leading to more lounges, others leading to amphitheatres.

"Ugh! Just what I need!", Naoto groaned and stormed through one of the hallways, some of the others following her while the rest took the other corridor.

Meanwhile Akihiko opened the exit door and threw a short glance outside to make sure that Ikas hadn't gone that way and would hurt Fuuka, before he, too, took one of the two hallways.

"Come out! Come out wherever you are, Iki-schnookumz!", Hiro giggled while running through the corridors.

"Sideu, shut up already!", Naoto snapped at him.

"Tee hee hee! You got it, Nao-chan!", Hiro only answered and ran into another corridor to search for Ikas there.

"Ugh! Why does this university have to be so huge!", Chie groaned while storming up a star together with Yukiko and Patty, her broken arm hurting more and more.

Naoto hectically looked around the corridor she was currently in, whirling around like crazy everytime she heard a door near her being closed or opened.

_`She has to be somewhere around here!_´, she thought, completely obsessed with finally catching Ikas. _`And once we have her, Seta-senpai'll finally be-´_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Naoto stopped dead in her tracks at once, eyes huge. "... Was that...?"

"Ikas!", she could hear someone scream one floor above her, and saw just in time how Yosuke came flying down a stair, running towards where the scream had been coming from.

Like in trance, she ran after him, towards the corridor that let to Ikas' lounge, and nearly crashed into Souji, Teddie and Kou who had reached that corridor as well.

They were just running through said corridor when they suddenly spotted someone escaping from Ikas' lounge.

"Who...?", Naoto began, still far too shocked from the scream earlier, and only stared after the escapee while Souji, Teddie, Yosuke und Kou hurried after them. "What is..."

"Naoto! Did you hear that scream, too?", she could hear Patty who had just entered the corridor with some of the others as well shout behind her.

"I... Y-yes...", Naoto stammered and slowly walked towards the open door that led to Ikas' lounge.

There was a huge chaos inside Ikas' lounge, like always. Clothes and books were again scattered everywhere. But that wasn't what made Naoto, Patty and the rest of them stop in schock, no: Ikas was lying motionlessly in the centre of the room, shards of the destroyed tv screen all over her body.

"But... But...", Naoto began and took several shaky steps inside.

"So we were wrong...", Patty mumbled sorrowful, the rest of the group having arrived now as well and staring at the chaos inside the room.

"Wake up, Ito...", Naoto mumbled, kneeling next to Ikas now, and shook the other woman with shaky hands. "I told you... to stop... acting already..." Ikas didn't react at all. "I TOLD YOU TO STOP IT, ITO!"

"Naoto...", Yukiko mumbled sadly while Kanji gently pulled the young detective away from Ikas.

"She's...! She can't just...!", Naoto blabbered, tears in her eyes now and completely desperate. "I mean, she's the culprit...! So how can she...? I... I don't understand...!" She stared at Kanji, looking for help.

"I don't get it either, Naoto...", the muscular man said to her gently.

Naoto hung her and head stared at Ikas motionless body.

"Let me go already! Ouch! Not my hair, man!", they could hear someone shouting from the corridor.

Souji, Teddie, Yosuke and Kou were back again, and with them they brought-

"Hiro?", Patty shouted, shocked.

"Caught while trying to run away!", Yosuke snarled and pushed Hiro toward the single large couch in the lounge with all his might.

"Oomph!", Hiro groaned when he crashed into the couch, and angrily stood up again seconds later. "What the hell was that for?"

Yosuke just pushed him to the couch, growling. "What did you do her?", he snapped at the brown-haired student.

"What I did to hear? What the hell are you talking about?", Hiro replied, this time just staying on the couch instead of trying to get up again.

The others gathered around him, Naoto and Patty standing a bit away from them.

"Sideu!", Akihiko growled in warning.

"It wasn't me who pushed her soul in there, okay!", Hiro snapped back.

"And yet it was you we caught while chasing after the culprit!", Souji countered.

"It wasn't me!", Hiro defended himself. "I was just as startled as you when I arrived here and I was scared you might think that I'm the culprit when you see me here all alone! That's why I ran away!"

"So what you're basically saying is that you just happened to be the first one to arrive at the crime scene?", Yosuke asked him angrily.

"Damn straight!", Hiro yelled and looked at Patty for help whose turn it was now to look away.

"How very convincing!", Souji spat, disbelief evident in his voice. "Consider yourself at the top of your list of suspects from now on!"

Hiro stared at him in fury.

"Why?", Yosuke yelled and kicked the entrance door before turning to Hiro again. "Sideu, if I ever find any proof that it was really you, then...!"

"For the last time, it wasn't me, and that's that!", Hiro shouted, jumped up from the couch and stormed towards the exit.

"Where are you going?", Souji shouted after him. "We're not done with you!"

"I'm going back to my lounge!", Hiro snarled. "Come see me there once you've got some actual proof!" And he stormed away, angrily stomping with his feet on the ground all the way back.

"... What now?", Yosuke asked, slightly insecure, and looked at Ikas who was currently being heaved onto her bed by Kanji and Kou.

"Same as always...", Souji sighed. "A little bit of sleep, several visits to the TV world so that we can save Ikas and hopefully find some leads that may help us find the true culprit..." He despondently stared at Ikas.

The main suspect in the case regarding the victims whose souls had been thrown into the TV world had just now proven to be innocent... Another failure for them that had set them back on their arduous journey to solve the case more than ever...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_**Author's notes: I have only one announcement to make! PERSONA 4 ANIME!**_

_**www[dot]mayonaka-tv[dot]jp**_

_**or**_

_**www[dot]p4a[dot]jp**_

_**Protagonist is named Yu Narukami. Err, not sure if want regarding the name... I certainly won't change the name in this story, but maybe I'll take it in another P4 fanfiction, should I ever get to actually write one.**_

_**Light Riku: Yap, as you can see I already know about it! ^^**_

_**Thank you for your reviews, everyone!**_


	85. Chapter 83: Ikas' short return: Like

_**Chapter 83: Ikas' short return - Hiro Like Version**_

_**Author's notes: It's that time again! Choose which version you want to read!**_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Hah, must feel great to sleep in the rain like that, old fart!"

Slightly disorientated Mr. Bagman perceived his surroundings after the condescending voice had woken him up. He was lying on the roof of a nearly completely destroyed building, the rain falling down relentlessly.

"How did I...?", he mumbled and looked around in confusion until he spotted the person that had woken him up. "Did you bring me hear, my dear?"

"Keep dreaming, old fart! I wouldn't even touch you with a ten foot pole, except to kill you!", the person replied with disgust in their voice.

"Goodness, aren't we rather aggressive today!", Mr. Bagman opined, hectically grabbed the cane next to him like a life line and stood up shakily. "What exactly are we doing here?"

"Heh! I don't know what _you_ have been doing here, but _I_ have watched those idiots beat the crap out of each other! `Secret meeting place where nobody'll bee able to eavesdrop´ my ass!", the person replied, and a grin spread all over their face. "Was a bit boring to watch the events down there, but Hiro-kun managed to liven up things a bit in the end. A very good orchestration from you, old man! I even got to see something very interesting!" The person's eyes seemed to glow while uttering the words `something very interesting´.

"... What do you mean, my child?", Mr. Bagman asked, slightly puzzled.

The person stared at him, just as startled. "... You made Sideu go crazy like that, didn't you?", they said.

Silence between the two of them...

"Don't even pretend you didn't! I saw you sneaking around here and doing some kind of hocus pocus shortly before Sideu went berserk!"

Mr. Bagman only continued to stare at them in confusion. "As I've already told you, I don't know what you're talking about.", the old man finally said and let his gaze wander of the destroyed building. "I don't know where we are, and I certainly don't know what has happened here."

The person shortly stared at him in disbelief before they threw a ball of energy at him. An apparitional figure appeared right in front of Mr. Bagman - who was still looking around and ignoring the person -, protecting him, and dissipated into thin air with a wailing scream when the ball hit it.

"Hmm...", the person hummed. "So you're really Baggy. I almost thought you'd gotten a doppelganger or something like that."

"Doppelganger? Humph! I'm quite unique, my child!", Mr. Bagman grumbled.

"Then what was all that mumbling about when you were walking around here, huh? Were you sleepwalking or what?", the person snapped back.

"Not that I know.", Mr. Bagman replied and finally looked back at the person. "Very strange, all that..."

"Maybe you've just got Alzheimer's disease and can't remember because of that!", the person laughed and turned around, about to walk away.

A short knock with the cane on the ground, and some of the remains of the building's roof formed into a huge sword that ran through the person's chest in a matter of seconds.

"Ugh...", the person managed to groan before they sank to the ground and lay there motionlessly.

"Not really nice to make fun of one's age.", the old professor said, looking quite choked, and stared up at the starry sky.

Some minutes went by before the person suddenly started moving again and stood up. Groaning, they pulled out the sword - on which were absolutely no traces of blood -, the wound already beginning to heal.

"That was my favourite shirt, you bastard!"

"Humph, so my assumptions were right.", Mr. Bagman said and sighed. "I had already wondered why you would be so foolish as to meet alone with me time and again. You've made some precautions as well."

"Many years ago, actually.", the figure replied. "I'm practically just as immortal as you are, old fart."

"Then why are you so intent on going through with this foolish plan? I don't really understand why you would choose to try and steal someone's soul, my child.", Mr. Bagman said. "Why would you give up your immortality like that? Why are you so intent on becoming h-"

"That's none of your business!", the figure snarled, ready to disappear into the ground.

"I would have to disagree with you on that.", the old professor talked back. "But that's only if you want me to help you, of course..."

"... Huh?" The person turned around. "What?"

A malicious grin started spreading over Mr. Bagman's face. "Do you remember my answer to you asking me to join you?"

"You just couldn't because as a Shadow you have to follow your original's wishes.", the figure remembered.

"Exactly.", Mr. Bagman agreed, nodding, and his eyes sparkled yellow. "Yet... what would you say when I've managed to defy this force more and more?"

"What...? That's impossible!", the person said, a little tense now. "A Shadow always reflects the true self, now matter if he wants to or not! You can't-"

"I most certainly _can_! My original was a fool who managed to seal away his true self into that ridiculous diary more and more!", Mr. Bagman snarled heatedly. "And it was exactly this foolish action that enables me to defy his wishes! The more I destroy of that pathetic book, the more I can defy him!"

"Diary? What diary?"

"That doesn't matter, my dear.", Mr. Bagman answered.

"The only thing that matters is that there will be only one driving force remaining that binds me to my original once I've utterly deleted everything inside that diary: Miki. Once I've solved that problem as well, I'm finally and completely free!" His grin turned very hateful. "There are several people among that bothersome Investigation Team and SEES that I would just love to see writhe in pain. So what would you say if I joined you after I have completed my final mission concerning Miki?"

"`You got yourself a deal!´, is what I'd normally say, but..." The figure stared at him with distrust in their eyes. "There's gotta be a catch about it, right?"

Mr. Bagman smiled in amusement. "Oooh yes, you're very clever, my child. Very smart, indeed!", he said and nodded while staring up at the sky again. "There is a... certain chess piece that I have... `created´ in my haste to stop you. It would... well, let's say... `hinder´ me once I'm ready to strike."

"Tohru Adachi."

"Exactly." Mr. Bagman nodded. "You've managed to position good old Namatame as a counter measure, but the prison's director had been able to ensure that Namatame couldn't too anything too drastic to him so far." He sighed. "But now I just don't have any need for Tohru Adachi anymore. He is rather troublesome to me now, I'd say."

"Then just kill him.", the person said, shrugging.

"I can't do that. At least not until my final mission is finished.", Mr. Bagman disagreed. "And it's exactly during that mission - when I need Nanako Dojima - that Adachi will be in my way more than ever."

"So what do you plan to do?", the person asked him.

Mr. Bagman only continued to stare at the sky for a few moments before he finally spoke: "... The moment I enter the TV world and focus all of my powers on Nanako Dojima and Miki, my control over the director will be severely weakened. Namatame will be able to do anything he wants."

"So you want him to kill Adachi?"

"Yes."

"My reward for that will be you helping me?"

"Correct."

Silence, then...

"I'm in, old fart!", the figure chuckled before they disappeared into the ground, heading towards Tanaba University.

Mr. Bagman only continued to stare at the stars, gaze dreamy and glassy. "Just a little bit more to go... until semester breaks are over, I'd say... Then... I'll finally be free...", he whispered longingly.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Hiro woke up and without any warning at all. It took him some seconds to realize where he was. He suddenly said up next to Patty on whose lap his had had lied the whole time.

"Whoa!", Yosuke screamed in shock and nearly fell down from his seat.

"Sideu...", Akihiko grumbled.

"... Huh?" Hiro looked around in confusing, rapidly blinking his eyes. "Where... Where are we?"

"In Mitsuru-san's limousine.", Patty explained, voice gentle.

Hiro stared at her and tilted his head slightly to the side. "... Huh?"

Mitsuru sighed deeply. "So guessing from the the way you're acting, you can't remember what happened?"

"Of course I can!", Hiro disagreed and pouted like a child, jumping up and down on his seat. "We were all in that huge hall to have some fun, and I'd taken little doggy here for a walk!"

Naoto grumbled in disbelief at Hiro's alteration of him abusing Koromaru.

"Then Naoto-chan'd thrown her Evoker at me, and the rest I can't really remember anymore.", Hiro continued and scratched his head. "Oh yeah! I think I'd knocked myself out when I'd tried to summon a Persona with my Evoker! And next thing I know I'd woken up here." He nodded, proud of himself. "Yeah, that's exactly what happened! Sooo, do I get a cookie for remembering now?"

The others just stared at him in disbelief.

"Nope. Can't remember a thing.", Junpei finally said and rolled his eyes.

"I just told you, I can-", Hiro protested.

"Sideu!", Naoto snarled.

"Yes, Nao-chan?"

"Shut up. RIGHT NOW!"

"You got it, Nao-chan!"

Naoto let out an annoyed scream.

"Could you at least explain to us how you got those powers, Sideu-kun?", Mitsuru asked him after a short moment of hesitance.

Hiro just stared at her.

"Don't wanna talk about it, huh?", Akihiko asked.

Hiro shook his head.

"No? `No´, what?", Akihiko asked, slightly grumbling.

Hiro tilted his head towards Patty and whispered something to her. Patty stared at him in disbelief.

"What's wrong?", Fuuka asked, slightly unsure.

"Naoto told him to shut up, so that's exactly what he's going to do.", Patty relayed her cousin's message to them.

"SIDEU!", Naoto yelled through the limousine.

"I don't know where I got those powers.", Hiro finally calmly explained, the pills in his trouser pocket feeling especially heavy now, and looked out of the window in disinterest, signaling that the discussion was over for him.

"... I don't know if it may help to understand Hiro-kun, but...", Patty began and stared at Hiro for help who only continued to stare outside the window. "I've met him for the first time when I had been four years old. Hiro had lived somewhere else before that. Nobody but my grandparents know where he'd lived before."

"He hadn't lived with you in the mansion at first?", Yukiko repeated, puzzled.

"Well..." Another look at Hiro who just ignored her. "Hiro's parents both died shortly after he had been born, that much I know. And you know how my grandparents are." The others nodded, remembering how they had tried to poison Patty because she didn't fullfil their expectations as a member of the Sideu family. "Maybe they sent him away because of that. I don't know." She sighed. "Anyway, anything could have happened to him during that time. I don't even want to think about it." She led her sat gaze wonder to Hiro again who was currently making faces at the people outside.

"Well, he certainly seems to have a rather huge personality disorder.", Naoto said and leaned back in her seat, giving up on getting a satisfactory explanation.

Mitsuru threw a meaningful look at Fuuka who nodded with a pale face and looked outside the window as well.

_`Hiro-kuns's powers...´_, the Informatics Professor thought while her body started shaking a bit. _`Hiro-kun was someone who Minato-kun had known in the past... If our assumptions are correct and the three energies remain as long as the soul exists, then Hiro-kun could be...´_

"Are you cold?", Junpei suddenly asked next to her.

"H-huh?" Fuuka looked at him, puzzled.

"You're shivering like crazy!"

"O-oh, yeah.", she answered and nodded shakily. "A bit. But it's alright. We're almost at the university."

"Ugh! And I've still got several reports on my desk that I have to go through tonight!", Akihiko sighed.

"Haha! And I can just happily walk back home and fall into my bed! Yap, certainly got it's advantages to being just an unimportant janitor that hasn't come to work on Sundays!", Junpei laughed gloatingly.

Akihiko only grumbled.

"I would like to inspect the PC once again before I go home.", Fuuka said. "Of course, I need one of directors' approval before that."

"Do as you wish.", Akihiko said, nodding. "I don't think you'll be able to find anything there anymore, but better be save than sorry."

"Good. Then I'll drive the rest of you back home.", Mitsuru said.

"Aww, Senpai! You're such a nice woman! Akihiko-senpai must be sooo happy to have you", Junpei said, grinning from ear to ear, earning himself a glare from the youn director.

~.~.~.~.~.~

It was already near dawn when the limousine arrived at Tanaba University and the Investigation Team, Akihiko and Fuuka exited the car and sleepily walked up to the entrance, all of them headed towards the PC, as suggested by Souji.

Should Fuuka be able to find anything, all of them would immediately know and could arrange for some last meeting to discuss the things found, if necessary.

"Wh-what is...?", Fuuka gasped the moment she took a step through the entrance gate, and stopped.

"What's wrong, Fuuka?", Akihiko asked and turned around to her in confusion.

All colour was drained from Fuuka's face immediately. "What... What happened here while I was away?", she stammered, eyes getting huger by the moment.

"... Yamagishi-sensei?", Naoto asked.

Fuuka hectically looked around the campus, her gaze wandering over the university's buildings, and finally sank to the ground, completely exhausted.

"Fuuka!", Akihiko shouted and knelt beside her. "What's wrong? Are you still not feeling alright?"

"Tired...", Fuuka managed to gasp.

"Tired? Would you rather go home first?", Akihiko asked her.

"N-no...", Fuuka yawned and managed to slowly stand up again. "So tired... What is...?"

"Sensei, what exactly's wrong?", Chie asked her.

"This feeling... This aura... It's making me feel... so absolutely tired...", Fuuka stammered while yawning again and again.

The others looked at her in puzzlement while Souji's eyes widened.

"I've been... pretty tired lately, too...", he mumbled.

"Huh?" Kanji looked at him questioningly.

"You as well, Chie! You told me today during our training! You said you just wanted to go to bed and sleep, sleep, sleep!", he said to Chie who nodded, dumb-founded. "I was always so damn tired! And it'd started shortly after we saved Fuuka-san!", Souji said, slowly realizing what was going on, and hit his forehead. "I should have realized it much sooner! Every time I've left the university in order to babysit or work at Nikita's, I've been wide awake again!"

"... Nikita?", Yukiko inquired, Yosuke making a squeaking sound in terror.

"But every time I returned to university, I felt like I hadn't slept in days!", Souji continued, ignoring Yukiko's question, and stared at Fuuka. "Of course Fuuka-san would be influenced by it especially strong due to her Persona!"

"... Yeah. Now that you mention it, I really _did_ feel pretty tired these last few weeks... I thought it was because of how much I've been studying and all that...", Kou remembered.

The others nodded.

"Where's it coming from, Fuuka?", Akihiko asked the Informatics Professor who was leaning against him now and trying with all her might not to fall asleep.

"F-from everywhere... The whole university is infected with it...!", Fuuka gasped and suddenly screamed in shock the next moment. "She's here!"

"Who is?", Kanji asked.

"Ito-san! She's... at the university! I can feel her!", Fuuka groaned.

"Where?", Naoto asked her, immediately on alert.

"Near Souji, Yosuke and Teddie's lounge...", Fuuka managed to gasp out before she fell asleep.

Naoto immediately started sprinting, followed by Souji and the othes.

"Good work, Fuuka...", Akihiko only said and smiled at Fuuka who was snoring slightly. He gently layed her on one of the benches on the campus and threw his jacket over her body so that she wouldn't get too wet from the rain, then followed the others.

"Good work? I think not...", someone said the next moment from the ground when Mr. Bagman suddenly appeared from there and discontentedly stared after Akihiko. His gaze wandered to the soundly sleeping Fuuka, and he violently ripped the jacket to the side. "Yamagishi-san, that was were naughty of you! No, really!" His gaze traveled up her legs, over her torso and finally stopped at her neck. "No matter how much I place into trying to hide the circle, you just always _have_ to a naughty girl and find it! Humph!" His hands stretched towards her and tightened around her neck. "Naughty, disobedient girls must be punished..." Fuuka started wheezing, not getting enough air anymore. "This is for your own good, my dear..."

But the next moment something like a photo that showed a smiling Mr. Bagman standing next to Fuuka together with the rest of the university's professors flashed in front of his eyes, and he howled in pain. His hands immediately let go of Fuuka while he wobbled backwards, away from her. "Ugh... Why...? Just because her memory still exists in the diary?", he growled and stared at her in anger. "Why do my original's feelings _always_ have to get in my way!" He stalked toward her again, but all he was able to do was gently pet her cheeks in a fatherly way. "Damn you, Yosufu Bagman... Why did you have to have fatherly feelings for this brat that is able to sense my circle...", he snarled before disappearing into the ground again.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Ikas Ito who was standing in front of the entrance door to Souji, Yosuke and Teddie's lounge whirled around in shock when she heard Naoto's loud shouts of "IKAS ITO!".

"Y-you all...", she stammered in fear, her glasses nearly falling down from her nose the way her whole body was shaking, and took some steps backwards.

"You're finally showing yourself here again? Who exactly was going to be your next victim, huh?", Naoto snarled and angrily stalked towards her. "Hanamura-senpai? Seta-senpai? Or Teddie?"

"Wh-wha-what ar-a-are you talking ab-about, Na-Na-Na-Naoto-san?", Ikas spluttered. "I-I just wa-wanted Yo-o-Yosuke-san to-"

"So it was going to be Hanamura-senpai!", Naoto interrupted her.

"Naoto-", Yosuke tried to get a word in, not really feeling all that comfortable about accusing Ikas.

"Well, I'm sorry to inform you, Ito-san, but your plan would have backfired since Hanamura-senpai's already faced his Shadow!", Naoto just continued shouting.

"Sh-Sh-Shadow?", Ikas repeated, dumbfounded, shivering more and more.

"Stop faking already and tell us why you're doing all of this!", Naoto barked at her.

"I-I don't know wha-what you're ta-talking about!", Ikas screamed hysterically and with a far too high-pitched voice, and stormed away from them the next moment.

"You're not getting away again!", Naoto yelled and ran after her, the other right behind her.

Several doors were thrown open and students who had heard the ruckus came sleepily out of their lounges.

"Ugh! Out of my way!", Naoto snapped, pushed each and everyone who got in her way to the side, Ikas nearly lost in the crowd as she stormed toward the hallway that led to the exit.

"Please, Ikas! Let's talk about this!", Yosuke desperately shouted after her.

Finally having managed to get through the crowd of confused students and having reached the exit, the friends looked around. Two hallways - three if one counted the one from were they had been coming from - lead away from the exit. Those hallways split into several other hallways, some of them leading to more lounges, others leading to amphitheatres.

"Ugh! Just what I need!", Naoto groaned and stormed through one of the hallways, some of the others following her while the rest took the other corridor.

Meanwhile Akihiko opened the exit door and threw a short glance outside to make sure that Ikas hadn't gone that way and would hurt Fuuka, before he, too, took one of the two hallways.

"Come out! Come out wherever you are, Iki-schnookumz!", Hiro giggled while running through the corridors.

"Sideu, shut up already!", Naoto snapped at him.

"Tee hee hee! You got it, Nao-chan!", Hiro only answered and ran into another corridor to search for Ikas there.

"Ugh! Why does this university have to be so huge!", Chie groaned while storming up a star together with Yukiko and Patty, her broken arm hurting more and more.

Naoto hectically looked around the corridor she was currently in, whirling around like crazy every time she heard a door near her being closed or opened.

_`She has to be somewhere around here!_´, she thought, completely obsessed with finally catching Ikas. _`And once we have her, Seta-senpai'll finally be-´_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Naoto stopped dead in her tracks at once, eyes huge. "... Was that...?"

"Ikas!", she could hear someone scream one floor above her, and saw just in time how Yosuke came flying down a stair, running towards where the scream had been coming from.

Like in trance, she ran after him, towards the corridor that let to Ikas' lounge, and nearly crashed into Souji, Teddie and Kou who had reached that corridor as well.

They were just running through said corridor when they suddenly spotted someone escaping from Ikas' lounge.

"Who...?", Naoto began, still far too shocked from the scream earlier, and only stared after the escapee while Souji, Teddie, Yosuke und Kou hurried after them. "What is..."

"Naoto! Did you hear that scream, too?", she could hear Patty who had just entered the corridor with some of the others as well shout behind her.

"I... Y-yes...", Naoto stammered and slowly walked towards the open door that led to Ikas' lounge.

There was a huge chaos inside Ikas' lounge, like always. Clothes and books were again scattered everywhere. But that wasn't what made Naoto, Patty and the rest of them stop in schock, no: Ikas was lying motionlessly in the centre of the room, shards of the destroyed tv screen all over her body.

"But... But...", Naoto began and took several shaky steps inside.

"So we were wrong...", Patty mumbled sorrowful, the rest of the group having arrived now as well and staring at the chaos inside the room.

"Wake up, Ito...", Naoto mumbled, kneeling next to Ikas now, and shook the other woman with shaky hands. "I told you... to stop... acting already..." Ikas didn't react at all. "I TOLD YOU TO STOP IT, ITO!"

"Naoto...", Yukiko mumbled sadly while Kanji gently pulled the young detective away from Ikas.

"She's...! She can't just...!", Naoto blabbered, tears in her eyes now and completely desperate. "I mean, she's the culprit...! So how can she...? I... I don't understand...!" She stared at Kanji, looking for help.

"I don't get it either, Naoto...", the muscular man said to her gently.

Naoto hung her and head stared at Ikas motionless body.

"Let me go already! Ouch! Not my hair, man!", they could hear someone shouting from the corridor.

Souji, Teddie, Yosuke and Kou were back again, and with them they brought-

"Hiro?", Patty shouted, schocked.

"Caught while trying to run away!", Yosuke snarled and pushed Hiro toward the single large couch in the lounge with all his might.

"Oomph!", Hiro groaned when he crashed into the couch, and angrily stood up again seconds later. "What the hell was that for?"

Yosuke just pushed him to the couch, growling. "What did you do her?", he snapped at the brown-haired student.

"What I did to hear? What the hell are you talking about?", Hiro replied, this time just staying on the couch instead of trying to get up again.

The others gathered around him, Naoto and Patty standing a bit away from them.

"Sideu!", Akihiko growled in warning.

"It wasn't me who pushed her soul in there, okay!", Hiro snapped back.

"And yet it was you they caught while chasing after the culprit!", Akihiko countered.

"It wasn't me!", Hiro defended himself. "I was just as startled as you when I arrived here and I was scared you might think that I'm the culprit when you see me here all alone! That's why I ran away!"

"So what you're basically saying is that you just happened to be the first one to arrive at the crime scene?", Yosuke asked him angrily.

"Damn straight!", Hiro yelled and looked at Patty for help whose turn it was now to look away.

"How very convincing!", Yosuke spat, disbelief evident in his voice. "Consider yourself at the top of your list of suspects from now on!"

Hiro stared at him in fury.

"Why?", Yosuke yelled and kicked the entrance door before turning to Hiro again. "Sideu, if I ever find any proof that it was really you, then...!"

"For the last time, it wasn't me, and that's that!", Hiro shouted, jumped up from the couch and stormed towards the exit.

"Where are you going?", Akihiko shouted after him. "We're not done with you!"

"I'm going back to my lounge!", Hiro snarled. "Come see me there once you've got some actual proof!" And he stormed away, angrily stomping with his feet on the ground all the way back.

"Hey! Get back here!", Akihiko and Yosuke shouted in unison.

"Guys... Just let him go for now...", Souji opined.

"Why are you defending him, god damnit!", Yosuke yelled at him now in his despair.

"He helped us during our battle against Fuuka's Shadow, after all!", Souji snapped back, slightly irritated.

"You can't just justify each and every damn thing he does with that! We caught that guy running away!", Yosuke screamed.

"Well, I'm sorry that I feel kinda miserable having to suspect one of our friends!", Souji shouted right back at him.

Naoto's widened at those words while staring at Souji.

"Friends...", mumbled Hiro who had actually sneaked back to eavesdrop before he finally went to his lounge. "Friends, huh...?"

"Tch!" Yosuke grumpily looked to the side.

"... What now?", Yosuke asked, slightly insecure, and looked at Ikas who was currently being heaved onto her bed by Kanji and Kou.

"Same as always...", Souji sighed. "A little bit of sleep, several visits to the TV world so that we can save Ikas and hopefully find some leads that may help us find the true culprit..." He despondently stared at Ikas.

The main suspect in the case regarding the victims whose souls had been thrown into the TV world had just now proven to be innocent... Another failure for them that had set them back on their arduous journey to solve the case more than ever...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_**Author's notes: I have only one announcement to make! PERSONA 4 ANIME!**_

_**www[dot]mayonaka-tv[dot]jp**_

_**or**_

_**www[dot]p4a[dot]jp**_

_**Protagonist is named Yu Narukami. Err, not sure if want in regards to the name... I certainly won't change the name in this story, but maybe I'll take it in another P4 fanfiction, should I ever get to actually write one.**_

_**Light Riku: Yap, as you can see I already know about it! ^^**_

_**Thank you for your reviews, everyone!**_


	86. Chapter 84: Insight

_**Chapter 84: Insight**_

That night none of the friend slept that well. Especially Naoto - who was now completely devastated and confused about the fast that Ikas wasn't the culprit at all - and Yosuke - who would have rather jumped into the TV right now to save Ikas - were turning around in their bed throughout the night, and only found an uneasy sleep.

But there was also Mr. Bagman who, after he had returned back to his house after his failed attempt at choking Fuuka to death, didn't manage to get that much sleep that night. The moment he shot through the floor and appeared in his living-room in which the stench of his original's corpse was absolutely vomit inducing he stormed into his study, took a small inconspicuous book out, hectically leafed through it and began ripping out several pages of it in fury. But the moment the pages that the old professor had ripped out and torn to pieces hit the ground, they already reappeared back in the book as if Mr. Bagman had never touched them.

"Aaargh!", the old professor snarled and hurled the book to the side in his anger. "Why?", he yelled into the silence. "Why, Yosufu Bagman?"

Huffing and puffing he hobbled over to the only mirror in the room and looked into it, one hand supported against it while the other one convulsively clung to his cane. Inside the mirror he could only see the room, nothing else, as if Mr. Bagman himself wasn't standing right in front of it. "Just like that mirror here! For years you acted as if I - your true self - didn't exit!" He goggled at the book in the corner again. "You sealed everything - EVERYTHING - inside that disgusting book, you fool!" He hobbled over to the trash can and shakily rummaged through it until he took out several photos - among it the one that showed the smiling woman among all those people with silver hair, and the photo that showed Nanako on her father's shoulders. "Fool!" He began ripping them to even tinier shreds than before and threw them through the room. He took out more pieces, through the into the air and screamed in absolute and blind fury.

He suddenly paused in his doings and grabbed one piece that barely showed the face of a baby that had slightly silver hair. "DISGUSTING!" The photo piece was suddenly set ablaze and fell to the ground, now mere ashes.

After letting loose all of his anger for several minutes, he finally hobbled back to his stool and stared the diary in the corner. A few moments went by before he let out a long-drawn sigh and gently knocked on the ground with his cane. The diary had suddenly disappeared and reappeared on Mr. Bagman's writing table.

"Let's see...", he mumbled, opened the book again and leafed through some pages that looked severely torn apart, and finally stopped when he reached the pages he had been trying to destroy moments ago, but which had just mended by themselves. "Fuuka Yamagishi... Unlocking the seal that concerns you in this book should be my next top priority, my dear..."

The sun was already shining brightly when Mr. Bagman's head fell to the writing table in exhaustion, deep asleep.

And it was at that moment when Teddie's slumber got expecially listless, his dream changing from Patty doused in sugar to something completely different...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The first thing he noticed was the unbearable stench that originated from the room. The whole room was completely dark, and so his gaze, like everyone else's, fell on the only source of light which was the turned on TV screen.

"Faster than I expected, my dears!", Mr. Bagman who was standing in front of the TV chuckled, holding the girl in a choke-hold.

"Big... Bro...", the little one wheezed.

"Nana-chan!", he shouted frantically and took some steps towards Mr. Bagman together with the others.

"No, no, no! That won't do!", Mr. Bagman said, strengthened his grip on Nanako and aimed at her face with his cane. "I suggest you better think about what you do next if you want her to stay in one piece, my dears!"

"Bastard! Let Nanako go!", Dojima barked through the room.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, good sir.", Mr. Bagman merely replied as if they were talking about commodity trades.

"You've already hurt Akihiko more than enough!", Fuuka sobbed and stared at all the blood on Mr. Bagman's clothes that wasn't his own. "Let go of the girl!"

"Akihiko...", Mr. Bagman repeated and sighed. "Well, it's not my fault that he just had to get in the way and try to take away cute little Nanako-chan here, after all. At least now he can't make any foolish decisions as Tanaba University's director anymore! Hah!"

"Shut up, scumbag!", Yosuke snarled.

"Ah ah ah! Do you really want to get kicked from the top of my favourite student list that badly, Hanamura?", Mr. Bagman chuckled, bowed before them and then thrust one leg through the TV screen  
"Get back here, Bagman!", Souji yelled.

"Ciao!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Suddenly Teddie was awake and looked around in the lounge, panting. Sensei was already standing in front the commode changing while water could be heard running in the bathroom, meaning that stupid Yosuke was probably currently taking a shower.

"Morning, Teddie.", Souji greeted him with a tired voice before put the last sock on and stretched extensively.

"M... Morning, Sensei...", Teddie mumbled, turned around and snaked into his bear costume.

"Still tired as well, huh?", Souji asked and grabbed his shoes next. "We're all dead tired, Teddie. Who knows what's going on here exactly and where that oppressive energy is coming from that Fuuka-san is feeling..."

"Maybe it's that Bagman guy.", Teddie opined and looked to the ground sadly. That nightmare he'd had had really shocked him. _`Nana-chan...´_

Souji sighed. "Who knows...", he replied. "At the moment the only thing we know is that Ikas is innocent and that Hiro has taken the spotlight all for himself by running away like that..." He shook his head, looked to the ground and yawned long and loudly. "To be honest, I don't really know where to start anymore."

"It's like a really big mess of one long thread where you don't know how to find the start of it anymore, right?", Teddie said, dispirited.

"Yeah...", Souji agreed and looked up as Yosuke grumpily stomped into the bedroom and wordlessly started changing in front of the commode.

"Sensei...", Teddie suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Souji turned around to look at him, already on his way to the door.

"Do you think they'll catch the guy who is killing all of those children soon?", the blond Shadow asked.

"I hope so.", Souji replied and tried his best to smile. "But don't worry about that, Teddie! Uncle Dojima is in charge of the case, after all! He's going to catch the one who did all that!"

Teddie nodded, still feeling quite down. "It's just... Nana-chan is still a child, too...", he sniffed.

Souji walked back through the room toward Teddie, passing Yosuke in the process who was so deeply in thought about rescuing Ikas that he didn't realize he was now wearing differently coloured socks, knelt in front of Teddie and lay a hand of his shoulder. "Nanako is far too intelligent and level-headed to be in danger of getting caught by that bastard, Teddie.", he said. "And I doubt uncle Dojima would ever allow anyone to hurt her again."

"Hmhmm...", Teddie hummed and nodded slowly before he stood up and went towards Yosuke's laptop.  
"No breakfast today, Teddie?", Souji asked him.

"Nope.", the Shadow merely answered and booted up the laptop.

Souji yawned again, threw a slightly worried look at Yosuke who was desperately wrestling with the pants he was trying to get into, and finally left the lounge, wandering through the hallways towards the cafeteria.

On his way there he remembered the look on Yosuke's face yesterday when he had told him that they would definitely wait some days before entering the TV world to save Ikas. They were all still worn out and hurt from their training with SEES, not to mention that horror show that Hiro had pulled on them after trying to use his Neo Evoker and going berserk due to it. And then there was also having to deal with the constant fatigue that they felt whenever they were at the university.

He looked closely at some of the students he was passing on his way; they all looked so tired and ready to collapse.

How long had this oppressive energy been here without them noticing anything at all?

If Fuuka hadn't decided to enter Tanaba University as well yesterday night, they all would still think they were just so tired from studying so much for their tests.

Souji groaned slightly when he thought about said tests. That was the last thing he needed right now!

_`The tests, saving Ikas, and finding the source of that oppressive energy...´_, he thought and yawned another time.

The exams were still a good month away so there was more than enough time left for that. Thinking about it, he was actually more than prepared for them already and didn't expected too many problems with the tests.

He stared outside one of the windows to the campus where rain was still falling down without end. With all that rain, it would soon become foggy. They couldn't delay Ikas' rescue for long.

And regarding the energy that was making them all so tired... Well, Akihiko had called Mitsuru that same night, making her take Fuuka away from the university with the limousine. The Informatics Professor felt the oppressive aura especially strong due to her Persona and would never wake up again as long as she was at the university. But the only chance they had at finding the source of said energy would be relying on her to find it with her ability.

Souji yawned another time, his lower jaw already aching slightly due to all that exessive yawning. _`Well, seems like I found the order of things to do: Ikas comes first, then the exams, and then hopefully finding the source of that aura someday...´_, he thought and entered the still rather empty cafeteria where he - after getting something to eat from the counter - went to the usual table where Patty and a demoralized looking Naoto where already sitting. Souji waited a moment, but when Naoto didn't yell some hurtful things only to go to another table, the Fool sat down as well.

_`Guess she's got more important things on her mind than yelling at me...´_, he thought. _`Serves the little brat right that she's wrong for once and depressed because of it~!´_ He shook his head at those last thoughts. Not those strange thoughts again... Was that also a side effect of that oppressive aura?

"Good morning, Souji-kun.", Patty greeted him, her back turned to her former fan club like always whom she just wanted to distance herself from as much as possible.

"Morning, Patty.", Souji replied and took a bite of the rather chunky rice on his tray, immediately scrunching up his nose.

"Haha!", Patty laughed in amusement.

"Honestly! Rice has to be _the_ standard dish in Japan! How can you just...", Souji wheezed and hurriedly drank a bit of his orange juice.

"Screw something like that up so badly?", Patty tried to end his sentence.

"Seriously!", Souji grunted, shoved the rice to the side and took a careful bite of some cornflakes. "At least they managed not to screw that up..." His gaze wandered toward Naoto again who was still sitting on the table writing something down on a piece of paper with a shaky hand, face far too pale. He thought he could make out the letter `O´ and `Tel´ together with several possible combinations of them. _`It seems she's trying to distract herself from thinking about Ikas by finding out which Persona Yosuke'd summoned during his battle against Hiro.´_, he guessed. _`Hmm... O... Tel... Othello? Hmm...´_

"Souji-kun...", Patty suddenly slowly said.

"Hmm?", Souji hummed, taken out of his thoughts, and looked back at her again.

"I... Well...", Patty stammered, took some deep breaths and then said: "I want to talk to you... about Hiro."

"... Okay.", Souji said after a short while. "But... didn't you just talk about him yes-"

"No, I want to... tell you about the time Hiro had been living at the mansion.", Patty explained.

Naoto who normally would have been listening to her immediately was only throwing a short and hasty glance at them before staring back at the piece of paper, her hand shaking more and more.

"... Okay.", Souji only said again, not really understanding what Patty was trying to accomplish by wanting to tell him about those things.

"It's just... Yesterday when you had found Hiro in Ikas' lounge, everyone had immediately started attacking him, and I...", Patty tried to explain. "I just want you to know in what kind of environment he had grown up and how he had turned out the way he is now."

"Alright.", Souji finally said and nodded.

Patty took a deep breath again, before starting: "As you already now, our grandparents are absolutely old-fashioned and virtually cling to the old customs. You know how they had been trying to get rid of me because I had been born as a bastard child. This just doesn't go along with that society's expectations.

But Hiro had actually gotten a much harsher treatment than me... The day he had first set foot into the mansion had been the first and also the last day my grandparents had ever exchanged a word with him. While they had tirelessly ridiculed me, they had just ignored Hiro." She stared at her breakfast in sadness. "Of course, it may sound like he had had it better since they had left him in peace. But just imagine how he must have felt, being locked in the mansion his entire life, completely ignored, as if he didn't exist at all... A life lived in complete isolation.

With all those insults I had to endure I had at least felt alive while Hiro must have lost every feeling at all."

That struck a nerve with Souji.

_- Mom, I'm gonna go cut my wrists now. -_

_- That's fine, Souji, honey. But please remember that dinner will be served at seven o'clock. -_

"And while I had desperately tried to become more and more like my grandparents wanted me to be until I had become that spoiled, snobby brat, Hiro had just distanced himself more and more from reality and turned into that crazy maniac you now know.", Patty continued. "He _can_ act completely normal if there are some other visitors from high society at home or something like that. It's like... there are two Hiros in one person that he's freely changing between at will.

Honestly, I don't even know anymore which one of them is the real Hiro and which one is the fake: The crazy Hiro or the normal, lovable Hiro. But... I just want to believe that him acting like a complete lunatic is just a means to gain attention so that he can avoid being treated like mere air and completely ignored like it had been the case for him in the mansion. I want to believe in the good inside Hiro. After all, he had never pushed me into doing something with him, even though I'm engaged to him..."

"You're engaged?", Souji repeated, dumb-founded, and even Naoto looked up in slight interest.

"... Yes.", Patty answered, slightly hesitant. "It's not prohibited for cousins to marry in Japan, after all."

"So that's why you've always been changing the subject whenever Hiro was talking about his fiancé.", Souji remembered.

Patty nodded. "Yes. My grandparents had made that decision when they had gotten word of Minato Arisato always sneaking into our garden and asking me to marry him when we've become adults.", Patty explained. "We were little children, and it was only the stupid babble of a small boy, but... my grandparents just _had_ to take it seriously! Hiro and I may be like dirt to them, but no way in hell was a low commoner like that Arisato kid going to marry one of us! They'd rather engage us to each other! Dust to dust! Dirt to dirt! I think that was what they had said to us that day..."

"Patty...", Souji slowly began mumbling.

"But Hiro has never made any suggestions towards making use of his rights as my fiancé.", Patty hurriedly continued. "He´d told me shortly after I had arrived at Tanaba University one year after him - dirt like us don't deserve to enter a top ranking university for High Society after all - that he would never stoop so low as to force me.

I told him that he could get himself a girlfriend, but you've already heard what he thinks about that. He doesn't want to betray his fiancé..." She sniffed a bit and stared at Souji, gaze serious. "So please, Souji... You have to believe me! Hiro is not the kind of person who would do something like that! He would never push Ikas-chan, Kou-kun, Yamagishi-sensei - and especially not me! - into the TV world!"

"I believe you, Patty.", Souji said after a moment of silence. "We've already made enough hasty decisions. And look what that has led to."

Naoto abruptly stood up at those words, face turned away from him, and hurried out of the cafeteria.

"... Naoto?", Souji asked in confusion while he felt the Moon Social Link leveling up at the same time. _`Goooood job, my dear! Leveling up a Social Link and making that brat run away crying! Hooray!´_ Souji slapped himself mentally.

Once all of this was over, he really needed a break and some time only for himself...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes:**

**Thank you for your reviews, everyone!**


	87. Chapter 85: Bagman

_**Chapter 85: Bagman**_

"Hello, little one."

Little Mitsuru Kirijo looked from behind her father behind whom she was hiding timidly at the older man who was kneeling in front of her, smiling gently at her.

"Mitsuru, this here is Gento Sanada.", her father said to her and gently pushed her to the silver-haired man who gently petted her hair. "He will be playing with you for a bit while I go talk to your Grandpa, all right?"

"... 'kay.", Mitsuru only mumbled, staring to the side at all those strange gadgets in the completely white room they were.

"It will only take a few minutes, Sanada-san.", her father said to the older man who nodded, and left the room.

"So, my little lady. How old are you, if I may ask?", the man named Gento Sanada asked her, led her to an elongate table and wanted to help her onto the chair that was far too tall for her.

"Four...", Mitsuru mumbled as an answer, freed herself from the gentle grasp of the man and stubbornly climbed onto the chair herself.

"Already four years old!", Sanada laughed, amused about the stubborn behaviour of the little Kirijo girl, and began rummaging in one of the cup-boards next to him before sitting down opposite of Mitsuru. He took a glass and filled it with some water from a faucet that was build onto the table. "I must say though, you don't look that old at at all, my little one." He offered her the glass of water which she hesitantly accepted.

"I... I'm not a little child anymore!", Mitsuru protested, pouting, and sipped on the glass of water.

"Haha!", Sanada laughed in amusement. "Well, that was supposed to be a compliment, my dear! Just you wait! Once your older you're going to be happy when people say you look younger than you actually are! Just take a look at me: I already look like an old man, but I am still in my prime of life! It would really be nice to hear someone saying how old and good I still look." He winked at her cheerfully to which she only made a disbelieving noise, draining the glass in one gulp. "Wow, you're really thirsty!" He took the glass and refilled it for her.

"It's because of the limousine's cooling system...", Mitsuru mumbled.

"Yeah, that artificial air really isn't the best, I agree with you there.", Sanada said nodding, took one of the test tubes he had taken out of the cup-board moments ago and poured the yellow substance in it into a larger tub. Second later blue fog rose from it and rained down onto Sanada's outstretched hand where it took on the form of a small stone.

Mitsuru's eyes widened in wonder before she managed to regain her composure and looked to the side in faked boredom. She noticed a crib in one corner of the room.

"Remarkable, isn't it?", Sanada said who hadn't missed Mitsuru's widened eyes.

"N-not really.", Mitsuru opined and looked back from the crib back to Sanada again who was just smiling at her in amusement, now pouring a blue substance into the same tub again.

Fog rose from it again - this time yellow - that took on the form of a small bird that landed on Sanada's hand and became a stone as well.

"What... is that?", Mitsuru asked, not able to hide her surprise anymore.

"Alchemy.", Sanada answered and chuckled at Mitsuru's widely opened mouth.

"Alchemy?", she repeated.

"Yes. You can make new things out of something with that.", Sanada explained.

"So... you could make something reeeaaally big out of something reeeeaaally small?", Mitsuru asked, astonished.

"Hmm?"

"Well, my Father always says to his employees that they shouldn't always blow small problems into big proportions. So this is what he meant.", Mitsuru explained and nodded wisely.

"Ahahaha!", Sanada laughed out loud. "No, no, no! That's not what your Father means!"

Mitsuru looked at him in confusion now and slightly tilted her head to the side. "It's not?"

"Haha, no, my little one. The result of alchemy can only always be as big as the thing you're trying to transform.", Sanada explained.

If he had hoped that Mitsuru would finally understand, he had been completely mistaken. Her gaze became only more confused by that explanation.

"Well, let me try it like this: Let's take a mouse. You can only make something out of a mouse that is as big as a mouse, let's say, hmm... a pencil!", Sanada tried to explain.

"Hmm...", Mitsuru hummed in thought before she nodded. "Aww, that's too big... Then maybe I could have become a bit taller through alchemy..." She looked down at her rather small body.

"Ahaha, I'm sure you'll be growing soon enough.", Sanada chuckled.

"Hmm..." Mitsuru pouted an looked around the room again. "What exactly are you doing here?", she finally asked the old man who was playing around with the substances again.

"Hmm?"

"You're one of Grandpa's searchers, aren't you?", Mitsuru asked.

"_Re_searchers, my little one.", Sanada chuckled and nodded. "Yes, Indeed I am."

"Well?", Mitsuru asked curiously.

"... Bagman.", Sanada finally answered. "Do you know what that means?"

Mitsuru shook her head.

"The term `Bagman´ is rather unknown to today's society, so I'm not surprised.", Sanada said, smiling. "`Bagman´ or also `Bag man´ refers to someone who is carrying out small tasks for the mafia."

"The mafia?", Mitsuru asked, shocked and hurriedly looked around for stern-faced men who were dressed in black.

Sanada chuckled again. "Well, we're not actually the mafia, but we're doing the same thing as them, in concept. You could say I'm the Bagman here, my little one."

"I... I don't understand.", Mitsuru replied, puzzled.

"You don't have to.", Sanada replied and suddenly looked up from the test tubes when he heard some slight whimpering from the crib. "... Ah, so you're finally awake again, sleepyhead?" With a slight limp in his walk Sanada got over to the crib and heaved a small baby out of it which apparently had been sleeping there the whole time.

Curiously Mitsuru watched how Sanada took a feeding bottle out of a cup-board together with another test tube, balancing the baby in his arms, before he returned to his chair, pouring the new test tube's substance into the feeding bottle.. "Just a little bit more...", he tried soothing the still whimpering baby, then dumped the feeding bottle into the tub, filling it with some of the colourless water in the tub. He shook the feeding bottle a few moments, the content suddenly becoming milk. "Here we go." He held the bottle toward the baby that immediately started drinking greedily.

Mitsuru curiously watched the two.

"Cute, isn't he?", Sanada said.

"Is that... Is that your baby?"

"Hmm... In a matter of speaking.", Sanada answered in thought. "But no, little Kashim here isn't my biological son, my little one. You could say he's my foster son."

"... Kashim?", Mitsuru repeated and wrinkled her nose at the strange-sounding name.

"Haha.", Sanada laughed again. "Well, I had first thought about calling him `Akihiko´, but... somehow I felt that the name would have teared up some old wounds... I wonder why..."

"W-wounds?", Mitsuru repeated in fright and immediately let her gaze wonder over Sanada's body who looked rather sad now.

"Oh, not those kind of wounds, my little one!", Sanada said and managed a smile again.

"Oh..." Mitsuru looked back at the baby again, feeling slightly relieved.

"You're really adorable, my little one.", Sanada said. "You're Grandpa must be really fond of his cute little granddaughter, right?"

"Not really...", Mitsuru grumbled and sipped on the glass of water while Sanada brought Kashim who had finished drinking back to the crib. "He never really visits me..."

"Oh, that's too bad.", Sanada said and took a rather thick book with him back to the chair. He immediately started writing in it.

Mitsuru curiously watched him, expecting another magical trick.

"This is just an ordinary diary, my little one.", Sanada explained to her, amused by her antics.

"Diary?", Mitsuru explained in disbelief. "Those are stupid and boring!"

"Ahaha, well, that may be so.", Sanada admitted while continuing to write in it. "But I still prefer having and writing in it."

"... What exactly are you writing?", Mitsuru asked, trying not to sound too curious.

"Oh, about this and that. I'm writing about you just now actually, my dear.", Sanada answered.

"About me?"

"Yes.", Sanada replied and looked rather sad again now. "You know, it is better this way. You never now what the foolishness of adults may wreak havoc upon. It is better and safer to protect you like this, my dear..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

An adult Mitsuru Kirijo slowly awoke from her sleep and found herself in one of her appartment's rooms in Tokyo which she had hurriedly made into her office. She slowly stretched her limbs, shoved the note pad - where she had written the words `_"O"_rpheus´ and `_"TE"_los´ yesterday on it in the right corner - she had been using as some sort of pillow and grabbed the telephone whose ringing had woken her up.

"... Kirijo?", she mumbled, still feeling rather sleepy, just to sit up straight in her chair the next moment. "Kurosawa-san?" She hurriedly grabbed the note pad and a pen again in case she might need to write something important the police officer from Tatsumi Port Island had to tell her down. "No, no, you're not bothering at all. I was just- ... You're already in Inaba?... Hmhmm, I see... So did you manage to get into the police's auto- You did? And? Did you manage t..."

The phone slid out of her hands moments later while she just stared at the wall in shock.

It took a while before she finally lifted it back to her ear, the hand holding it shaking violently. "... Are... Are you sure, Kurosawa-san?... Hmhmm... Yes, I... see.. Th... Thank you... Kurosawa-san... I... Good... bye..."

Slowly, very slowly - like in slow motion - she lay the phone to the side and continued to stare at the room's dark blue walls. A few seconds later she had to support her head on her shaking heands so that it didn't just fall to the table.

Several minutes went by before she nervously grabbed the phone again, dialing a number, then re-dialing again because she had gotten the number wrong. Finally she held the phone against her ear again, inhaling and exhaling far too fast, while waiting for the one she was calling to finally answer.

_"Sanada."_, she finally heard a far too sleepy sounding male voice on the other side of the line.

"Yukari is dead.", Mitsuru immediately spoke into her phone, her voice completely hoarse.

_"M-Mitsuru? Hu- Wha-what are you talking about?"_ The sleepiness was immediately gone from her conversational partner's voice.

"Takeba is dead, Akihiko.", Mitsuru repeated and sank down into her seat in complete and utter exhaustion. "I-I...!"

_"Mitsuru, try to calm down first!"_, Akihiko told her, now sounding worried. _"You were absolutely convinced that her being that was just a farce. So why do you suddenly-"_

"I had asked officer Kurosawa to travel to Inaba and to try and use his position to gain access to the autopsy department there.", Mitsuru explained, trying to sound as calm as possible. "He... saw her there, Akihiko. There in the autopsy department... Her corpse is there..."

_"Shit..."_

"According... According to the information Kurosawa has managed to obtain the cause of death is still unknown.", Mitsuru continued to speak, voice still shaking. "It's... as if she were just as asleep and just not waking up anymore."

_"Mitsuru..."_

"Was I... really that foolish to believe that nothing like that would ever happen to one of our group again? That we would lose someone once again?", Mitsuru yelled into the phone. "I... just can't-"

_"Mitsuru, calm down, please!"_, Akihiko interrupted her. _"Stay inside your apartment, I'll be over there in a few minutes!"_

"You... You don't need t-"

_"You're my fiancee, goddamnit! Of course I'm coming over there!"_

"Aki..."

_"See you in a bit, Mitsuru. I'll go tell Chidori that I'll be leaving so that she can give me a status report about Satonaka's condition later."_

"Akihiko."

_"Hmm?"_

"There's still more. According to the report, Yukari was pregnant..."

_"Pregnant? But how...? Who...?"_

"I don't know... who the father is. But... could you please...?"

_"Of course. I'll try to find out anything I can. I'd better call Fuuka on the way so that she can come over to help us investigate."_

"Okay. See you in a bit..."

Mitsuru lay the phone to the side and once again stared at the wall.

"Yukari... What in the world have you been doing during the time we haven't seen you..."

~.~.~.~.~.~

As it turned out, Chie's arm - she had been carried to the infirmary by Akihiko after they had found out that Ikas' soul had been thrown into the TV world - was broken.

"Well, looks like I'll have to wear this here for a while.", she said sighing when her friends visited her later that day after the training with SEES, and motioned at the cast that had been wrapped around the arm. "At least it's not one of my feet or I wouldn't be able to accompany you into the TV tonight." She looked at Souji. "We... _are_ going tonight, right?"

"Of course we're g-", Yosuke started.

"Nope. Not today.", Souji interrupted him.

"Why not?", Yosuke snapped at him.

"We're all still far too tired because of yesterday, and I still have to go to both of my part-time jobs tonight after seminars are other. We're going tomorrow.", Souji explained.

"I don't have anything to do with you're part-time jobs!"

"Do you really not?", Souji asked him with a raised eyebrow, referring to his job at Nikita's bar.

Yosuke merely grumbled and glared at nothing in particular.

"According to the news, the rain will continue for the next few days.", Rise said. "It'll be a while before the fog sets in. We've still got time, Yosuke-senpai."

"Time, huh...", Yosuke repeated and snorted. "Who knows what kinda garbage her Shadow is telling her during that time already. But... I guess nobody really cares about her anyway..."

"Hanamura-senpai...", Naoto who had been quietly standing a bit away from the group the whole tried to talk to Yosuke, but was just ignored by him. She sighed deeply and hung her head low.

"Well, I guess I'll be going now. I still have something important to do for the next seminar with Bagman.", Souji said, already at the door, before he turned around and looked at Chie. "You're really sure that you want to come with us tomorrow? You could just sit this one out if it's too much for you, Chie."

"Yap, I'll be alri-", Chie boasted, but whimpered the next moment because she had tried to move her arm during the process. "Al... Alright... Gonne be... just... alright...", she wimpered.

"O... keee...", Souji said in slight disbelief, sighed and finally left the infirmary, only to nearly crash into Hiro who had been standing near the intrance.

"Whoa!", both of them shouted in unison.

"Hiro? What are you doing he-", Souji started to ask, but Hiro only shook his head.

"I don't really know myself.", he replied and tried to grin like he usually did. "I _think_ I wanted to see how Chie-chan was doing. But when I had reached the entrance to the firmary here I had to stop and think: `Would they really wanna see me in there? I'm not one of them after all.´"

"Hiro...", Souji said, but Hiro shook his head again and grinned even dumber than before.

"Well, I guess I'll be going to the cafeteria now and try to see how many asses I can grope before I get smacked! Tee hee hee!", he chuckled, whirled around while groping a loudly screeching Souji's ass at the same time and hurriedly ran towards the cafeteria before the silver-haired man could do something. "Score one for Hiro-sama! Ciao, Souji-chan!"

Souji stared after him, still trying to process what had just happened, before he finally shook his head and began wandering through the corridors himself.

But he didn't stop at his lounge to do something for the next seminar with Mr. Bagman, like he had told his friends, no. He continued on, past his lounge, past the completely destroyed PC, past Mr. Bagman's office, and finally stopped in a deserted hallway in front of a lumber-room through which he stepped the next moment, blinded by a blue light.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room!", he could hear the familiar lunatic voice of Igor the next moment, as he sat down on the chair opposite of him and Aigis.

"Good day.", Souji greeted the two residents, Aigis staring out of the window like usual.

"Well, my boy, what can I do for you?", Igor asked him, folded his hands over the table in front him, supporting his head on them, and stared at Souji in curious fascination.

"I better get right to the point.", Souji said, feeling rather tense as he let his gaze shortly wander toward Aigis, and then stared at the ridiculously long nose of the grinning man in front of him.

Yesterday night, before he had finally managed to get some sleep, he had been thinking about a lot of things. And he just had to get one of the questions that had formed in his questions answered, her and now.

"Is there any way for me to face my Shadow?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes:**

**If you don't remember who exactly Kashim is, then I suggest reading chapter 72 again.**

**ShinigamiSparda: First of all, thanks for the review! No, there's no such S. Link between Souji and Hiro at the moment. All I want to say about the dream Teddie has: I didn't just include it for fun or to make the chapter longer. Not gonna say any more about it than that. ^^**

**Dracis Tran: Didn't see you review last time. You're referring to the first few chapters. Those were rather on the comedy side. After chapter 20 or so, the story becomes more serious (because I finally knew where the story was going and not just writing whatever came to mind at that moment).**

**And before anyone asks: Yes, the first 20 chapters or so had just been written because I wanted to write a P4 fanfiction. I had no idea what the fuck was gonna happen next, who's the killer, who's gonna be kidnapped, or... well, everything!**

**Anyway, thank you for your reviews, everyone!**


	88. Chapter 86: Fortune's lament

_**Chapter 86: Fortune's lament**_

"I better get right to the point.", Souji said, feeling rather tense as he let his gaze shortly wander toward Aigis, and then stared at the ridiculously long nose of the grinning man in front of him.

Yesterday night, before he had finally managed to get some sleep, he had been thinking about a lot of things. And he just had to get one of the questions that had formed in his questions answered, her and now.

"Is there any way for me to face my Shadow?"

Aigis immediately started at his direction, her gaze slightly confused and questioning.

"... Your Shadow, my boy?", Igor asked Souji while slight wrinkles started forming on his already far too wrinkled face. Souji only nodded. "Why would y-"

"Out of the question.", Aigis interrupted her master. Her and Souji's gaze met, and the silver-haired Fool just couldn't help but wonder why Aigis was always acting that way toward him whenever he entered the Velvet Room.

_`Does she think her master would get angry if she acted like she had back then when I had shortly met her outside of the Velvet Room?´_, he wondered.

"A Fool can't meet their Shadow. There is no need for it.", Aigis said.

"And why is that?"

"A Fool is protected by the power of the Wild Card.", Igor explained instead of Aigis who had now returned to staring outside of the window. "The day you had set foot into the TV world for the first time, it was that exact power that had prevented you from meeting your Shadow."

Souji stared at him for a moment before a sarcastic sneer started forming on his lips. "I see.", he laughed out loud. "So I am not special at all, am I? I'd always wondered why I was the only one... It's just because I got lucky and got chosen by Izanami."

Aigis opened her mouth as if in protest, but closed it again immediately after.

"Oh ho ho!", Igor laughed in amusement. "My boy, Izanami may have been the one to give you that initial `spark´, but only those with a string will and mind can even hope to enter this room and receive Master Philemon's blessings. Of course you're special - just as special as the other guest that is currently visiting this room from time to time with her cute little doll. And, of course, all those other guests before you as well."

"... Just like Minato Arisato?", Souji asked.

Aigis' gaze returned to him again for a few seconds, then back to the window.

"Yes, just like that former guest.", Igor agreed, nodding.

Souji sighed. "Anyway, to get back to my question..."

"Impossible.", Aigis interfered again.

"Philemon is powerless at the moment.", Souji countered with an annoyed glare at her. "He can't protect me at the moment, right?"

"Master Philemon is currently gathering his old powers at a certain place.", Igor explained. "But you're still under his protection, my boy. There are only two ways for you to ever encounter your Shadow: The residents of this here Velvet Room that rule over power can use that power to summon a guest's Shadow, should a guest ever lose sight of their road and need assistance to get back on it. The other alternative..."

"Yes?"

"You'll have to die.", Aigis simply said. "If you die, the protection vanishes, just like it did for Minato Arisato. Simple..."

"Err, `no thanks´ to that alternative.", Souji replied. "But the first one..."

"`No thanks´ as well.", Aigis opined.

"Why not?", Souji asked her, again a bit annoyed by her antics.

"The ones who rule over power are not here anymore.", Aigis explained. "Margaret, Elizabeth and Theodore have all three left the Velvet Room. I am merely a replacement. I am unable to help you with that."

"Grr...", Souji grumbled. "Then how am I...?" _`How the hell am I supposed to find out what the Messiah meant?´_, he wondered while remembering how Mr. Bagman had suddenly broken out of his fake other self. He remembered having all those weird thoughts for quite some time. It had probably started around the time his uncle had told him that Yuuta had been found dead, and just this morning he had been so deliriously happy that Naoto had suddenly left the cafeteria crying. Was this also connected to Mr. Bagman? He just didn't know. _`Just like with all the other things happening around me. I just don't know where to start in this mess anymore... I thought that if I could face my Shadow I could at least find out what Mr. Bagman had suddenly been doing there...´_

Who was Yosufu Bagman? Why had his fake Shadow suddenly transformed into him? Why had Nyx tried to send him a warning that focused around that ridiculous god named Ebisu?

He had hoped that if he was able to finally get the answer to one of his questions, the other answers would slowly become clearer and clearer. But no...

_`Another dead end...´_

"Why do you want to face your Shadow?", Igor suddenly asked him. "What do you hope to gain from it?"

"I...", Souji started speaking and stared at him helplessly. "... need answers."

"Answers...", Igor repeated, lost in thought, and stared at the cards in front of him for a moment before staring back at Souji. "But they're all there already."

"... Huh?"

"The answers to your questions are all right under your nose. Maybe not as close as to my magnificently long nose, but still there.", Igor replied, chuckling.

"But... huh?"

"Maybe you should take a closer look at your surroundings, my boy. You just have to search at the right places, speak with the right people, then it'll eventually all become clear."

"Truth behind truths...", Souji sighed deeply, making Aigis flinch with that, before he finally stood up from his chair and went to the door. He slowly turned around to the two residents a final time. "Well, thanks... for nothing."

"Always a pleasure, my boy.", Igor replied, grinning. "Even a small amount of nothing can produce lots of crap over time, you know."

~.~.~.~.~.~

It was the night of the next day when the friends gathered in Naoto's room in front of the TV.

"Everything alright, Fuuka-san?", Rise asked Fuuka with slight worry in her voice, the Informatics professor clinging to her weapon of choice - a rather large shield she could duck behind - for dear life.

"Yes. I'll be fine once I enter the TV world.", Fuuka yawned and smiled shakily. The moment she had set foot on the campus after Akihiko had driven her here, she had immediately felt weak and about to keel over, the aura over Tanaba University an insistent veil that still influenced her greatly.

"Well...", Souji groaned, also feeling rather tired because of his part-time jobs and the seminars today, and looked from one party member to the other. "Let's go!" He nodded at Yukiko and Patty who wished them good luck, and stepped through the TV screen, only to land on his feet in the TV world, staggering just a little bit due to the impact. _`At least I don't fall right on my ass anymore...´_, he thought with relief and looked at Yosuke and Fuuka who were currently trying their best to get up from the ground again. Fuuka could actually be forgiven for crashing to the ground since it was her first time. Yosuke, though...

"Epical fail, Yoursogay!", Chie laughed at the music-loving man, but quickly shut up when she noticed the man's desolate gaze.

Yosuke had practically been on autopilot these last few days. He hadn't even once said a word when they had walked through the gay part of Tokyo hours ago to get to Nikita's bar.

"Finally! I thought you just wanted to be acting like the annoying brats you are and lie to me about investigating today! I don't have all day, you know!", a voice suddenly said from behind them, Tohru Adachi stepping out of the thick fog and grinning at the friends.

"Adachi-san.", Naoto who had informed Adachi through a phone call said, nodding.

"Naoto-chan! Sooo, now that we've all introduces ourselves, can we _please_ get this over with?", Adachi sneered as an answer, then through a short glance at Chie's cast. "Nice accessory, Satonaka!"

"Humph!", was the brunette's only answer to that.

"Hmm...", Fuuka hummed, feeling already much better and - more importantly - awake, and rummaged around in her trouser pocket for her glasses.

"Oooh, I'd completely forgotten about it!", Teddie suddenly shouted and bounced towards the Informatics professor. "Here, for you, Fuuka-chan!" He searched around in his bear costume before taking out some lime green glasses that had a nice flower design on them.

"H-huh? But..." Fuuka stared from the glasses that Teddie was offering her to the pink ones she had just taken out of her pocket in confusion.

"Oh, those are the glasses I had made for Patty-chan ages ago!", Teddie remembered, nodding, took those glasses away and gave her the green ones. "It was beary unfortunate, but she didn't want them so I gave them to that Akihiko guy. Why do you suddenly have them?"

"Err, Akihiko had given them to me during the battle against my Shadow.", Fuuka explained.

"Oi, from person to the other! Poor thing! Nobody ever takes good care of you!", Teddie said while gentling patting the glasses like a child that needed some love from his parents. "Hmm... Oh, I know! I'll just give them to that Akihiko guy tomorrow as a souvenir."

"... I bet he's gonna be sooo thrilled to have those back.", Kou said, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Yes, beary much so, I'm sure!", Teddie agreed cheerfully and stowed those unpopular glasses away again.

"Hellooooooo! Earth to idiotic group of braaaaats! I. Don't. Have. All. Day!", Adachi snapped, more than just a bit annoyed now.

"Tch! All that's waitin' for ya in jail are the bars at the winodw of ya' room, man!", Kanji replied, shrugging.

"Well, I know this will be a great shock to your microscopically small brain, Tatsumi, but even in jail there are things one should watch out for and never miss.", Adachi answered him, absent-mindedly touching the spot on his neck that Namatame had stabbed his human body at back then. _`That freak! He won't get me like that again...´_ He turned to Souji. "So, who is it you idiots were unable to protect this time?"

"Ikas Ito...", Souji answered, crunching his teeth.

Adachi rolled his eyes. "Seta, Seta, I already told you last time that it's not cool to say everything backwards. Makes you look like a complete nerd. `Ikas´ equals `Sak´ backwards, right? Haha, well, that one's already stone-cold, like Dojima's dead wife, ya know."

Yosuke stared at him as if he would like nothing more than to rip out his throat.

"Hmph, if you really like playing stupid games like that with me, I guess I'll just have to see for myself where the next victim is...", Adachi mumbled, closed his eyes, concentrated, and suddenly opened them again, this time in absolute disbelief. "What the...?" He whirled around, stormed towards a completely dumb-founded Naoto and started shaking her. "Why am I sitting behind bars when that brat is still alive, huh!"

"Wha-wha...?", Naoto only managed to stammer.

"Answer me already, ya damn brat!", Adachi continued to yell at her, shaking her more violently.

"Get ya' hands off her!", Kanji barked and shoved at Adachi to the side, protectively positioning himself in front of her.

"Why did I have to take the blame for that Konishi brat as well when she's happily running around here with a pulse!", Adachi yelled, his gaze now lingering on Yosuke who stared at him with wide eyes. "Bet you think it's really funny, huh, Hanamura?"

"What-"

"The Konishi girl's in here! I can sense her!"

The others only stared at him.

"... What?", he shouted at them in fury.

"So we _were_ right about that.", Rise said, her voice so quiet that you could even hear a needle falling to the ground. "She is connected to Saki-senpai in some way..."

"Would one of you brats please be so kind as to explain to me what the fuck is going on here?", Adachi screamed.

"We don't really know ourselves so back off!", Souji snapped back at him. "Tell us where she is right now so we can find out `what the fuck is going on here´!"

Adachi stared at him in anger for a few moments, but he sneered at him again. "The place she's currently at should be easy for to guess. It's actually pretty close."

"Huh..." Rise tried to concentrate. "Nope, can't sense her at all. The fog's just too thick."

"Humph, amateur.", Adachi made fun of her. "The Konishi brat is currently at her home."

"... The liqueur shop?", Souji asked him.

"Yap."

Yosuke was suddenly up and running.

"H-hey, Yosuke-Senpai! Wait!", Rise shouted and ran after him together with the others.

_`Should I have told them that there's also someone else there? Hmm... Naaaah!´_, Adachi thought and chuckled to himself. _`It'll be more fun this way!´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Saki-senpai!", Yosuke shouted the moment he had stepped through the entrance to the shop where had once met his own Shadow. He jumped up in surprise when someone in there shrieked and let the whisky bottle they were holding fall to the ground.

"Yosuke-san!", Fuuka who had reached the shop as well together with the rest of the group shouted.

"Who's there?", Yosuke asked into the foggy shop, a person standing in the far away corner and sobbing quietly.

"Huh? What do you me-", Chie started in confusion.

"How mean!", said person sobbed with a distorted voice that send shivers down Naoto's spine. "Why do adults always have to be so mean!" Slowly and with tears all over its face, the figure stepped through the fog towards them, almost falling over their lab coat in the process.

"... Out.", Souji whispered at Naoto.

Naoto just remained there, frozen on the spot.

"Out with you!", Souji yelled at her.

Naoto still didn't react.

"Please don't shout like that! Why are you always so mean, Senpai?", Shadow Naoto sobbed and timidly hid its face behind its hands.

"Naoto, come on!", Kanji snapped and tried to shove the young detective outside.

"No!", Shadow Naoto shouted at the same moment in panic. "Don't go! Please, don't leave me behind!"

Souji whirled around and glared at Adachi. "You know that the Shadow was here, didn't you!"

"Whaaaaat? I had no idea, I swear!", Adachi answered, feigning innocence.

Souji was just about to turn to Naoto again to try and get her away from her Shadow as quickly as possible when the ground beneath suddenly opened up and swallowed them all...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"So there were no more murders?", Mitsuru who was currently laying in her bedroom could hear her fiancé's voice coming from the room she had changed into her study. After having received the message about Yukari's death, she completely collapsed, and so Akihiko had brought her into the bedroom and forbidden her to leave that room at all while he and Fuuka had tried to find out about what Yukari had been doing these last few years throughout the whole night.

Right now Akihiko - who had just returned from driving Fuuka to Tanaba University - was sitting in the study together with the detective Ryotaro Dojima she had seen once or twice at the university.

"No. Ever since Yuuta Minami's been killed, no more child corpses have been found.", Dojima replied, posture rather tense as he said on the couch. All that pomp and show-off in this apartment was making him quite uncomfortable.

"Hmm...", Akihiko hummed in thought. "And culprit didn't just change from children to adults? Maybe trying something new for a change?"

"I doubt it.", Dojima disagreed. "We could determine the cause of death for all the corpses found after Minami's death so those are normal crimes that were committed by other bastards."

"So what? Did the killer just get tired of it? Or..."

"Or?", Dojima repeated questioningly.

Akihiko let his gaze wander to the side in slight worry. "Maybe they're preparing for something..."

"Hmm?"

"As we've already found out and have discussed quite thoroughly together with Shirogane, you'll get two star circles if you connect the places where the victims were found. Those are signs used in alchemy.", Akihiko explained. "Maybe... the killer is preparing himself for the ritual?"

"... You really believe in that bogus, Sanada?", Dojima asked him.

"Yes, I do.", Akihiko answered without hesitation and nodded. "And according to Shirogane, you should as well, after all those activities of your nephew, right?"

"I don't want to talk about that!", Dojima said, now sounding a bit angry.

Akihiko sighed. "Well, whatever the case, no more victims can be accounted to the serial killer after the Minami boy's death.", he said. "The killer is planning something, I'm sure of that at least."

"And we certainly won't like it...", Dojima added, grumbling.

"We most certainly won't.", Akihiko agreed grimly.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Oomph!"

The ground Souji and his friends landed on after what had seemed an endless fall was cold, damp and moldy.

"Hmm...", the silver-haired Fool could hear a distorted female voice humming, and hastily jumped up, looking around for Naoto.

The place they had ended up was completely dark, almost as dark as the area behind the gate where Minato's soul was sealed, and he could barely make out who was near him and who was still laying on the ground.

"So this is Ikas Ito's dungeon: Eternal Abyss.", Naoto's dark self spoke into the darkness and suddenly started whimpering again. "It's *sniff* sooo scary here!"

"Naoto! Where are you?", Souji shouted and felt his way around in the darkness. He needed to get the young detective out of here and away from her Shadow as fast as possible before it was too late.

_`You know exactly what the Shadow has in store for us, my dear, don't you~?´_

Souji vehemently shook his head at those thoughts. Damn that voice in his head that spoke in the same way Mr. Bagman always did!

"Over here, Senpai!", Shadow Naoto sniffed.

"Not _you_, you-", Souji started yelling, but stopped the next moment when suddenly a bright, unnatural seeming light illuminated the whole area.

Shadow Naoto was standing on an elevated platform amidst the giant grotto they had landed. On the platform next to it was some kind of operating table on which the real Naoto was lying, hands cuffed to the table. Directly above her was a silvery strange machine that was producing all the light.

"Naoto!", Kanji shouted and took some steps towards the real Naoto.

"Ah ah ah!", Shadow Naoto interfered. The machine suddenly started humming and produced a huge drill that stopped just millimetres away from Naoto's heart. "No interferences, Tatsumi! That goes for the rest of you, too!" Any whimpering and sniffing was now gone from the Shadow's voice.

Kanji stopped immediately while Naoto tensely stared at the drill directly above her.

"So, Naoto Shirogane..." The Shadow turned to its original. "How about saying the magical words right from the start, hmm? How about sparing everyone that theatrical babble? Just say `You're not me´, yes?"

Naoto merely threw a deathglare at her Shadow and stared back at the drill.

Her Shadow sighed. "Such willful insolence. Disappointing.", it spoke and let its gaze slowly wander through the friends standing a few feet a way from them - especially at Souji - before it turned once again to its original. "So we don't want to play the game like I want, do we? We'd rather let other people suffer." Naoto looked at her dark self questioningly. "And the result of that stubbornness? To refuse me means that others will have to suffer for that! If you don't want that the community you so desperately cling to will finally fall apart, just like you had been fearing all along, you _will_ obey!"

Naoto's eyes widened in pure horror the next moment, and she tried struggling against the chains that bound her as best as possible, but without success.

"`You are not me´: Four simple words that could prevent greater suffering, Naoto Shirogane. Speak them now or suffer from the consequences of your foolish decision! Choose your own way to play the game right now!", her Shadow continued to yell at her.

A moment went by in which Naoto only quietly stared at her Shadow before she slowly opened her mouth: "... You... You're no-"

"Are ya crazy, Naoto!", Kanji yelled at her.

"Silence, Tatsumi!", the Shadow snapped at him immediately. "Why won't you just die in a corner, you Neanderthal!"

"I-I...", Naoto stammered, gnarled her teeth and stared back at the drill as if it held the answer to all her problems.

"Kanji Tatsumi, a spoilsport to my game like no one else!", Shadow Naoto grumbled. "I should have known that I had to wait for a moment where you couldn't get in my way! The day when you had defeated your Shadow and just ignored the rules of the game should have taught me a lesson!"

"Game, game, game! Play, Play, Play! That's basically all that Shadow's talking about! What the hell's wrong with that thing?", Chie snarled, and Souji eyes suddenly widened in horror.

_- I mean, wearing a pink princess dress and talking like a spoiled brat had been quite fun. But acting like a complete queer and taking on a penis shaped form? Give me a break! No, thanks! -_

The words the Messiah had spoken to him a few days ago resounded inside his head while his gaze lingered on the Shadow's white lab coat.

_- And the way things stand now, I'll soon have to wear a white lab coat and whine the whole time like a brat about how mean Souji Seta is! Ugh! -_

_`Princess dress: Yukiko's Shadow! Penis shaped form: Kanji's Shadow! ... Always whining brat wearing a lab coat: ... Naoto's Shadow... Fuck!´_, he thought, completely shocked.

"You're the Messiah!", he yelled at Naoto's Shadow that know grinned rather maliciously at him.

"Senpai, what-?", Rise began talking, sounding puzzled.

"It was you all along!", Souji continued yelling. "It was you who'd been torturing both Yukiko and Kanji! You bastard!" His whole body shook in anger. "Why the hell does Yukiko have to suffer from the loss of her Persona when it was only a pathetic little creature like you who was posing as her Shadow? How did you even get here? I thought you were trapped behind that gate! Answer me!"

Shadow Naoto - or was it the Messiah? - only smirked at him in an all-knowing way before it turned back to Naoto who was now looking rather confused.

"He's just talking nonsense and trying to confuse us, like always. Just ignore him, Naoto Shirogane.", it said to the young detective.

"Messiah!", Souji screamed in fury, but moments later the Shadow had already created some kind of barrier around the platform that prevented any sound from getting in so that Naoto could only hear her Shadow now.

"With `Messiah´... you mean the being you told us about, Souji-san?", Fuuka hesitantly asked the silver-haired Fool.

"Yes." Souji nodded. "That thing had always talked about stuff like `play´ or `games´ or `toys´, and it had hinted at the fact that it had something to do with the appearance of Yukiko and Kanji's Shadow! I don't know how he's doing it, but he's here and pretending to be Naoto's Shadow now!"

"Tch!", Kanji snarled and threw worried glance at Naoto, her Shadow now kneeling over her.

"So, Naoto Shirogane, would you like to speak the magical words now or not?", Shadow Naoto spoke to her again.

Naoto stubbornly stared to the side.

"So you've decided on the painful alternative... And you'd almost been ready to obey. Damn that Tatsumi!", Naoto's Shadow sighed. "How much more suffering and pain do you have to bring to Seta and the others, huh!"

Naoto's right eye twitched in anger, but other than that she gave no sign whatsoever that she was actually listening to the Shadow.

"Sure, Seta may have brought pain and misery for you all with his Social Links, but just take a look at what you've done to poor little Ikas!", Shadow Naoto continued.

"Social Links? What's that?", Kou repeated questioningly.

Shadow Naoto smiled maliciously while Souji's face went a bit paler than before.

Adachi grinned gloatingly.

"Oooh? Was that question directed at me?", the Shadow said and turned to Kou. "One of your friends wants to know what the term `Social Links´ means, Naoto. Should I enlighten him?"

"No, don't!", Naoto shouted immediately, fear evident in her voice.

"Oh? Why not? Why hide things like that when he doesn't deserve it any other way?", the Shadow chuckled.

"There are things people are better off not knowing!", Naoto screamed.

"Hah! Yeeeeaaaah, suuuuure! And you'd really believe that clicheed line?", Shadow Naoto laughed and turned to Kou again. "You want to know what Social Links are, Kou-kun? Why don't you just ask Seta-kun here, Master of those duplicitous Links?"

All gazed wandered to Souji who just stood there, unable to move at all.

"... What's that thing talking about, Partner?", Yosuke asked him.

"Souji-san...", Fuuka slowly mumbled, trying to find a way to get him out of this.

Next to them, Adachi had sat down on the ground, staring at Souji like an especially interesting and fun television program.

"Social Links... are...", Souji stammered, slight sweat starting to form on his forehead.

"Social Links are established by deceiving other people.", Shadow Naoto interrupted him, voice condescending.

"Silence!", Naoto yelled at it.

"They're `social´ bonds with those that correspond the the tarot cards' Arcanas they represent, and help the wielder of the Wild Card to get stronger.", Shadow Naoto continued.

"Stop!", Naoto begged now.

"Wha-what... I don't understand...", Chie said, sounding confused,

"Your Social Link that Seta has established with you years ago in Inaba is the Chariot Social Link, Chie-chan.", Shadow Naoto explained with a huge grin on its face. "By spending time with you and pretending to care about you so that he can win your trust, all of his Personas whose Arcana are `Chariot´ will get stronger. In other words, you're merely a power source for his Chariot Personas, numbskull!"

"Wha-?", Rise stammered, an unbelieving look on her face, while Souji's face turned as white as a ghost.

"Of course, _your_ role is to strengthen his Lovers Personas, Rise-chan.", Shadow Naoto said to her.

Rise's gaze wandered back to Souji, looking for help, but he just continued to stand there.

"That goes for the rest of you, too! _All of you_ are just there to strengthen him!", Shadow Naoto laughed.

Dead silence during which the friends just stared at Souji...

"... P-partner...?" Yosuke was the first one to speak, taking some steps towards Souji who in turn took some steps backwards. "What... What that thing is saying... That's not true... right?"

"I..."

"It's not true, is it, Senpai?", Rise begged, tears in her eyes.

"Just look at him shaking in fear! Of course it's true!", Shadow Naoto shouted with evident joy in its voice. "Just remember the moment your Personas had changed to more powerful beings! It was the moment your `friendship´ with Seta had reached its climax! The moment the Social Link had reached its highest level, giving him as much power for the Personas that belong to that Link as possible! You're just as dependant on those Social Links as he is, but at least you can be forgiven, because _you_ didn't know of the existence of them... until now, that is! But Seta on the other hand..."

"Shut up already!", Naoto snarled.

"You're lying!", Teddie screamed at the Shadow, crying. "Sensei's not..."

"He's just like the rest of us Wild Cards.", Adachi said and shrugged. "Driven by that strange guy with that long nose and his bitch who sit inside that `Velvet Room´."

"Adachi-san...", Fuuka stammered.

"You'd better believe what that Shadow's saying, brats.", Adachi opined and grinned. "Souji Seta is no better than me, and it's high time you finally take him down from that golden throne you have positioned him on so long ago!"

"Souji...", Chie started and looked back at Souji who was avoiding everyone's gaze.

"But... Why?", Rise was shouting now.

"Heh, we look like complete idiots now, huh...", Yosuke mumbled, a disappointed smile on his face. "Lied to this whole time..."

"Well shit...", Kanji grumbled, scratched his head and turned back to the Shadow. "Get outta there n' let Naoto go, ya freak!"

"Kanji, what...?", Kou began.

"Shut ya' trap!", Kanji snarled at him. "I'm just as furious at him than ya are, but we have better things ta do before we can handle him! Naoto needs us right now, so get ya' shit together right now, got it!"

"Kanji..."

"Heh, strong words coming from such a colossal idiot!", Shadow Naoto laughed. "Why should you help her? She's just as guilty as Seta is! She knew about those Links the whole time, yet she didn't say a word!"

"I didn't-", Naoto stammered.

"Didn't have the same ulterior motives Seta has, huh?", Shadow Naoto imitated her tone. "Hah, you might not have the same disgusting motives he has, but your reasons for hiding the truth are just as despicable! You knew what would happen if the others found out that they were deceived this whole time! You knew this whole friendship thing you all had going on would break apart in an instant! And poor little Naoto would be all alone once again, right?" The Shadow hid its face behind its hands and started crying again. "Why am I always left alone? Why... can't I ever find true friendship? Why is everyone always so mean to me?"

"Naoto...", Kanji mumbled in pity.

"I... I...", Naoto stammered.

"That's the only reason you kept quiet about it. It was all just for yourself, Naoto!", the Shadow snarled. "You're an egoistic little brat that just has to act all grown-up so you can survive the malice of this world!"

"That's not-"

"And it's _your_ fault Ikas' soul had been thrown into the TV world!", Shadow Naoto continued to shout.

"What's that thing talking about now?", Yosuke asked, confused.

"It was _you_ who had accused her this whole time It was _you_ who had chased her through the university that night! It's _your_ fault that she ended up here!", the Shadow snarled. "All just to achieve your goals!"

"No, that's no-", Naoto tried to talk back.

"I... I love him so very much!", Shadow Naoto suddenly sighed dreamily.

Kanji's eyes widened, blusing like crazy, while Rise squealed loudly.

"She said it! She just really said it!", the teenie idol squealed.

"Senpai... I love you...", Shadow Naoto whispered now.

"Wait... What...?", Kanji stammered while Rise had a huge WTF look on her face.

"Souji-senpai... My ideal man...", Shadow Naoto purred.

"What the fuck?", Kanji and Rise screamed in unison.

Souji stared up at Naoto, disbelief written all over his face. Naoto Shirogane... was in love with him?

"Stop...", Naoto begged once again, her whole body shaking now.

"Why is Senpai so mean?", Shadow Naoto cried again. "I love him so much, but he... Why? Why is he doing this to me?"

"Stop it!", Naoto screamed.

"Day in, day out he's the only thing I think about, and I so desperately wish back the Souji-senpai I had fallen in love with in Inaba!", Shadow Naoto continued. "Why? Why doesn't he want to be the ideal m-"

"YOU'RE NOT ME!", Naoto suddenly yelled, tears running down her face, before she fainted.

Shadow Naoto stopped immediately and turned around to its original, a triumphant smile on its face, dark fog already surrounding the Shadow's body. "So you decided to utter the magical words, rather than endure suffering and torment any longer, Naoto Shirogane?", the Shadow said. "Well, I must thank you then."

The Shadow whose body was already covered completely in black fog suddenly disappeared into the ground that had started shaking violently the next moment.

The table fell apart, its parts falling down to the ground together with Naoto and the machine, the drill missing her only by centimetres.

"Naoto!", Kanji yelled and stormed towards her, only to scream in surprise the next moment when a claw-like, metallic hand suddenly shot out of the ground and grabbed Naoto. "No!"

A grinning face - made out of metal as well - that looked somewhat like Naoto's face slowly rose out of the ground as well, followed by a second claw-like hand and a gigantic body with horns that covered the whole body and the far too long tail that finally rose out of the ground as well. That being - Naoto's Shadow - had dozens of orifices that spat out thick, heavy yellow fog that engulfed the whole area.

Not even the glasses' special ability to see through the fog could help them to really see anything anymore.

"I am a Shadow, the true self!", Shadow Naoto spoke with a tinny voice. "I couldn't save Ikas; it's all my fault! Why do always have to be so self-centered? I'm sick and tired of this world of hypocrits in which I'm the greatest of all of them! Die, Me!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes:**

**This will be Shadow Naoto's theme next time:**

**www(dot)youtube(dot)com / watch?v=wxE1RJcbSYQ**

**ShinigamiSparda: Thank you for your review! The only thing I can tell you is that I love setting up traps like during the episode in which Souji thought he had just saved the real Minato Arisato. There dozens of such traps that can already be found in what I have written so far. Also, the summary of Persona 3 really was a necessity, as you've already stated. I knew it would bore and annoy people who had played the game, but there was no other way for me to do it if I wanted people who hadn't played P3 to understand what's going on.**

**mysterious P4 player**:**Thank you for your praise! About your P5 story: How exactly am I supposed to help you with that, if I may ask? You didn't really tell me how I'm supposed to help so I don't really know how to answer to that. ^^;**

**Thank you for your reviews so far, everyone!**


	89. Chapter 87: Hatred and love

_**Chapter 87: Hatred and love**_

**Author's notes: Battle theme alert:**

**www(dot)youtube(dot)com / watch?v=wxE1RJcbSYQ**

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"I am a Shadow, the true self!", Shadow Naoto who had turned into that giant monstrosity spoke with a tinny voice, holding the unconscious Naoto in one of its claw-like hands. "I couldn't save Ikas; it's all my fault! Why do always have to be so self-centered? I'm sick and tired of this world of hypocrites in which I'm the greatest of all of them! Die, Me!"

"What in the world...?", Yosuke stammered, nearly breaking his neck as he tried to stare up the Shadow's face.

"Naoto!", Kanji yelled in panic when Shadow Naoto suddenly opened its huge mouth.

"Itadakimasu...", the Shadow said and let Naoto fall into its mouth, gulping her right down.

"Spit. Her. Out!", Kanji screamed while punching one of the Shadow's legs with his weapon with every word he spoke.

The Shadow's eyes sparkled red for a second before a Ragnarok attack rained down on Kanji.

"Void Fire!", Fuuka bellowed, having summoned her Persona Brynhildr just in time, and the red shield that appeared around Kanji quickly absorbed the fire attack.

"Get away from it, Kanji!", Souji yelled, grabbed Kanji and pulled him away, Shadow Naoto's tail missing them by mere inches.

"She's...! She's...!", Kanji stammered, gaze completely desperate.

Souji slapped him. "Think, Kanji!", he shouted at him. "This thing - the Messiah - had once said that he needs us! He wouldn't just kill her like that, do understand? He-"

A punch to his face which threw him down to the ground quite ungently was Kanji's answer to that.

"Fuck you, Senpai!", Kanji growled at him. "Ya think ya can always solve stuff by stayin' calm and all that shit all the time? That ain't gonna work! That think just fuckin' _ate_ Naoto!"

Shadow Naoto swung around its tail again, hitting both men and sending them flying through the area.

"Kanji-kun! Souji-san!", Fuuka screamed and tried to get to them through the thick fog. She whirled around and screeched in horror when she saw Shadow Naoto taking aim with its claws at the other members of their group who still stood there indecisively. "Look out!"

Having been warned by Fuuka, Yosuke and the others jumped to the sight, managing to the dodge the attack.

"Sensei is...", Teddie mumbled miserably.

"Concentrate on the battle first, please! We still have time to talk about it after that! I'll talk, too!", Fuuka shouted at them while reaching the two men and healing them with Mediarama.

"Die!", Shadow Naoto barked the next moment, and several salvos of Agidyne were thrown around, Fuuka doing her best to defend everyone with `Void Fire´.

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm not part of this, you got that?", Adachi protested, not having received any protection by Fuuka at all, and jumped around like crazy to dodge the fire. Shadow Naoto tried to hit him with its tail. "Okay, that's it! I'm outta here! You have fun, kiddos!" He quickly lay down on the ground.

"Hey, you can't just-!", Souji started to speak, but just stared at the place where Adachi had disappeared in disbelief seconds later. "Asshole!"

"The Shadow's Arcana is Fortune!", Rise yelled now over the battlefield, having finally gotten a grip on herself and summed her Persona. "What the- That thing's strong against nearly everything except Almighty attacks!"

"Well, isn't that just brilliant!", Chie growled, falling to the ground in order to dodge the Shadow's tail while trying not to hurt her broken arm any more at the same time.

Kou, Teddie and Yosuke all tried to attack the Shadow with their Personas at the same time. The physical attacks Yosuke and Kou's Persona were trying to do just bounced off the Shadow's body while Kintoki-Douji's Bufula spell was thrown back at the Persona which made Teddie - whose Persona had some resistance against ice, but not a full resistance - fall backwards to the ground.

"Ah hah hah hah! This game's sooo much fun!", Shadow Naoto laughed out loud, the huge thorns on its body suddenly seperating from it and launching themselves at the friends like miniature rockets.

"Ah!", Fuuka shouted in surprise and managed to hide behind her giant shield while the others had no such luck and ran around, trying not the get hit, Fuuka being unable to shield them since her powers only allowed her to summon shields against elemental attacks.

"Time to reload...", Shadow Naoto grumbled and started humming the next moment, producing new horns.

"Fuck it! Spit Naoto out already!", Kanji yelled and made his Persona crash against the Shadow's mechanical stomach.

"Pathetic, Tatsumi!", the Shadow merely laughed and launched another salvo of horns.

"Eat this!", Kanji shouted, taking aim and hit one of the horns with the table he had brought with him as a weapon. The horn was thrown backwards, and their was a blood-curdling crashing sound when it hit the Shadow's stomach.

Shadow Naoto groaned in pain and cursed out loud when Kanji's Persona punched against the now already damaged stomach with its weapon.

There was an explosion, metal parts were blown around, and an unconscious Naoto fell out of the destroyed stomach part, Kanji catching her before she fell to the ground.

"Ugh! Why must you always struggle so much against your own end! Give her back!", Shadow Naoto growled, thrown around even more horns while trying to grab Kanji with its claws. The musculous man jumped to the side, Naoto's weight not bothering him at all, and ran away from the Shadow as quickly as possible. "Get back here!"

The friends hurriedly positioned themselves in front of the giant Shadow to prevent it from following Kanji who was currently lying the unconscious detective on the ground once he had gotten far enough away from the Shadow.

"Naoto, Oy, Naoto!", Kanji shouted, shaking her body and trying to get her to wake up.

No reaction.

"O... Okaaaay... Th-then...", Kanji stammered, took some deep breaths and leaned forward, his lips only centimetres away from hers.

SLAP!

"That's sexual harassment, Kanji Tatsumi!", Naoto growled, voice slightly slurred, fighting against fainting again.

"Knew this would wake you up...", Kanji mumbled and rubbed his now burning cheek that Naoto hit hit.

"Yamagishi-sensei!"

Kanji and Naoto whirled around when they heard Rise's panicked outcry, and were just able to see how Fuuka who had been hit by one of the horns went down to the ground.

"And now that that obstacle's out of the way: RAGNAROK FESTIVAL!", Shadow Naoto bellowed, its eyes sparkling red. Seconds later hundreds of fire attacks were launched at the group, Fuuka no longer able to protect them with her shields.

"Aaagh!", Chie cried out as she was thrown to the ground by one of the spells, grabbing at her arm in pain.

"Out! Outta here! Now!", Souji yelled and dragged Fuuka over to Kanji and Naoto while Yosuke helped Chie back up on her feet and ran towards the others.

"Get back here right now! Leave the detective brat here!", Shadow Naoto ordered them and tried to grab them with its claws. It missed since Rise had already warped them out of the grotto.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Welcome ba-"

Yukiko's greeting ended in a choked scream when she saw all the blood on Fuuka's clothes, the Informatics professor shivering all over as Souji dragged her to second bed in the lounge while Kanji lay down Naoto who was unconscious again on her bed.

"I-I'll call a doctor right now!", Patty shouted and was already at the door when Chie grabbed her.

"It's okay. Teddie's already healed her before we'd completely left the TV world! She needs rest right now!", the brunette explained to her, face pale and tense.

"The blood is still from when her wound had been open.", Yosuke added.

"Oh! Oh...", Patty stared at Fuuka in pity who tried to smile, her eyes getting heavier and heavier due to the aura that lay over the university.

"Please...", she managed to gasp out as she slowly drifted off to sleep against her will. "Try... not to be too hard to him... You're... friends after all..."

Patty looked from Fuuka to the others in question while Yukiko was leaning worriedly over Naoto.

"What happened to Naoto-kun?", the black-haired woman asked.

"Her... Shadow managed to get to her... She can no longer summon her Persona inside the TV world...", Souji explained, looking to the ground.

Yukiko stared at him for a moment in disbelief, her eyes wide, before she stared down at the young detective in sympathy, Kanji gently caressing Naoto's forehead. Yukiko looked up in confusion once again when Souji suddenly fell to the ground, Yosuke having shoved him down. "Yosuke-kun, what-?"

"So, let's get down to business, shall we?", Yosuke yelled at the silver-haired man, grabbed him and hauled him up again. "Is what that Shadow said the truth, huh? Is what that asshole Adachi said for real?"

"Yo-", Yukiko tried to talk to him once again, a little scared now.

"Answer him!", Chie barked and kicked against the wall in fury.

Souji just let his gaze wander to the sight.

"Ugh!", Yosuke snarled, let go of the Fool who sank down to the ground again, and sat down on Naoto's bedside table, not caring that he knocked over Naoto's alarm clock in the process, the little thing starting to beep like crazy immediately. "SHUT THE HELL UP!", he yelled after the alarm clock and stomped on it. It made one last muffled beeping sound, then finally fell silent.

"What's... wrong?", Patty asked hesitantly, just as confused as Yukiko was.

"That bastard here has just made a fool of for years, that's wrong!", Yosuke explained, motioning at Souji on the ground.

"H-huh?"

"We're... like power sources for him... or somethin' like that.", Kou said, avoiding to look at anyone else the whole time.

"I don't understand.", Yukiko said. "What do you mean?"

"We're all serving as Social Links for him, Yukiko!", Chie spat. "Social Links are ties that you create by getting closer to others, their only purpose to strengthen the Personas of the Arcana they belong to! You're his Priestess Social Link, I guess."

Yukiko and Patty stared, confused and in disbelief, from her at Souji who was still sitting on the ground, making no attempts to move at all or do something to defend himself, be it physically or with words.

"Tell me one thing, _Senpai_!", Kanji spoke to Souji while continuing to stroke Naoto's forehead.

Souji slowly looked up to him, his eyes being veiled by his hair.

"Why Naoto and not you?", Kanji snarled. "Why does she have to take the punishment just because you're such an asshole!"

Souji turned his gaze away from him and got a glimpse of Rise and Teddie who were sitting on Fuuka's bed and holding each other, both crying. He hurriedly looked back to the ground where didn't have to look at anyone.

Several minutes went by without anyone uttering a word before Yosuke's patience finally ran out and he hit the bedside table with his fist which made everyone startle.

"We asked you something, _Partner_!", he snapped, trying to lay all his hatred into the nickname. "I tell you this right now! You're not getting out of this room until you tell us what exactly is going on!"

"Yosuke-senpai...", Rise whimpered in the corner where she was sitting together with Teddie.

"You can't tell me that it's okay for you the way it is right now, Rise, can you?", Yosuke yelled at her now.

"I... I didn't say that!", the teenie idol sniped back. "Stop yelling at me!"

"I can't do anything but yell right now!", Yosuke shouted back and turned his glare back at Souji who was still sitting on the ground and avoiding everyone's gaze.

Souji suddenly felt a deep crack starting to form in the Magician Social Link within him.

"He... He saw _everything_!", Chie starting yelling again. "He saw our fears, the things we didn't want anyone else to see, and he? He just lied to us the whole time!"

Like knives the fragments of the Chariot Social Links were piercing into Souji's heart.

"Sensei...", Teddie sniffed.

The Star Social Link was slowly fading away.

"Nghmm..."

Nearly all heads whipped around immediately when Naoto suddenly made those groaning noises, and Kanji immediately let go of her, as if he had been burnt.

"Naoto-kun, how are you feeling?", Patty asked her and quickly knelt over her worriedly.

"... `Bad´ would still be an overstatement...", the detective mumbled, slowly sat and up with the help of Kanji and looked from one face to the other before sighed in sadness, her gaze lingering on Souji who was still sitting in front of the bed where Yosuke had shoved him down. "So... That's the end of the Investigation Team... of our friendship..."

"Naoto...", Rise whimpered.

"You owe us an explanation as well!", Yosuke shouted at Naoto. Kanji threw a warning glare at him which he decided to just ignore. "Why the hell did you cover up for him?"

Naoto sighed anew and hid her face behind her hands before she took and deep breath, slowly looked up at Yosuke and spoke: "I found out about Seta-senpai using us for his Social Links - just like Adachi-san had done - through discussions between Dojima-san, Adachi and me in Inaba's prison." She let her gaze drift back to Souji who didn't show any reaction at all. "I... didn't want to believe Adachi-san. I just _couldn't_... To think that a person who had grown so close to your heart was really just one big lair was just... it just hurt too much to acknowledge it.

While Dojima-san had wallowed in self-pity, I had tried to keep a cool head. I wanted to wait for a chance to observe Seta-senpai in an environment free of murder cases and Personas, free of Social Links. I wanted to know how he would behave around us without those things, and I wanted to take him to task if any doubts about his actions arose.

For me, the perfect chance to do so came when Hanamura-senpai had written that mail to us in which he'd suggested that we all meet at this university to study." She looked back at this others. "From the beginning it was my intention to only stay at this university for two or even three months and get a full understanding of Souji Seta. Due to all my prior accomplishments and deeds I don't need any kind of academic studies anymore to prevail in my field of work."

"So... you never intended to come here and really study?", Yukiko asked her, sounding a bit lifeless for some reason. "You wouldn't have come here if Sou-... Seta hadn't come here as well?"

Shard for shard the Priestess Social Link was torn apart.

"I would have at least driven to Tokyo and spent a few days near the university to spend time with you all.", Naoto replied. "But yes, I would have only stayed a few months to get a clear picture. Of course, leaving now is absolutely impossible with everything that's going on. I can't just leave during an important case like that. And this also leads us to the factor that completely destroyed my intentions: The current murder case. The first victim had been found nearly immediately after we'd arrived here: Sideu's roommate."

Patty's body shivered as she nodded.

"There was no time to observe Seta-senpai without his Social Links since he didn't waste any to establish them with us again.", Naoto continued. "I... didn't want to believe all the things I had heard from Adachi-san, but all this time I have watched Seta-senpai sweet-talking you into trusting him more and more. The more I had seen, the angrier I had gotten - of course, I want to apologize to you for all the things I've said and done during that time. It must have been quite annoying for you to listen to me, well... _bitching_ at you all the time."

"Apology accepted. It's quite understandable that you acted that way after all.", Patty said, nodding.

CRACK! The Moon Social Link had just been torn asunder.

"I _had_ planned to tell you what was going on and how you had been lied to, really!", Naoto continued with a certain vehemence in her voice. "But... another - rather pathetic, now that I think about it - idea had already started to form in my head: `What if I wait until the end of the case? Then Seta-senpai would be without Social Links that need leveling up! I would be able to see the true Souji Seta!´" She looked at Yosuke again. "Do you remember the night shortly after we'd saved Sideu? It was the same night Seta-senpai had been attacked by Mitsuru-san and Koromaru." (Author's notes: Chapter 48!)

"The night Fujibayashi-sensei had been murdered, yes.", Yosuke remembered. "What about it?"

"Your exact words to me that night had been: `Are you really in such a hurry to close this case that you would just jump at the first person who seems suspicious!´.", Naoto recited and sighed another time. "You had hit the nail on the head that day, Senpai. I didn't care how! I just wanted to close this case as quickly as possible so that I could see the real Souji Seta! I wanted to be right about him not being the person I feared he was! Making Ito into the culprit was just so convenient to me! And then... she had been kidnapped a few days ago... Because I had driven her away in my efforts to finally close this case..."

"So that's why your Shadow said it's your fault that Ikas' soul had been kidnapped.", Chie remembered.

"Isn't it?", Naoto replied dejectedly. "If only I had tried to listen to her a bit more, then maybe..." She shook her head. "No, I'd rather driven her away than just tell you all who or what Seta-senpai really is. I didn't want to be wrong since I lo-... well, you know what... him... Or rather... I you-know-what with what I thought he is..." She looked to the side. "And I... didn't want that our friendship would break apart because of all of this.", she finally spoke after a few moments of unbearable silence. "I know that I've behaved absolutely selfish these last few months! But... I just couldn't help it! I..."

"Naoto.", Kanji interrupted her, making her startle as if she had just noted that he was sitting so close to her. She looked at him in question, body shaking a bit. " 's okay.", he said to her.

The Emperor Social Link was disappearing more and more...

"Kanji-kun..."

"And our friendship isn't going to break apart over this!", Rise finally spoke up, suddenly grinning from ear to ear, and stood up from the bed. "Right, guys? We still have each other, after all!"

The others looked at her for a moment, then nodded.

Followed by the Emperor Social Link, the Lovers Social started to disappear as well...

"Hey, how about this: We should call Akihiko-san and tell him to take Yamagishi-sensei away from here so that she can wake up! He could drive us to a restaurant in the city at the same time so that we can get some really yummy food for once! How 'bout it?", Rise suggested.

"You and thinging about food, Ku- Rise? Isn't that usually Chie-senpai's job?", Naoto asked her, a warm smile on her face.

"Hey! I resent that!", Chie shouted, pouting, but also with a smile on her face.

"Hmm... But curfew's going to start soon.", Patty reminded them.

"Aww, it'll be alright! Akihiko-san still owes us for that fiasco he and the rest of SEES called `training´!", Rise opined, giggling. "Come on! Pretty please?"

"Okay, okay, have it your way!", Naoto said, the others nodding.

"Aaaaalright! Just gimme a few minutes while I go to my lounge and make myself even more beautiful than I already am!", Rise laughed triumphantly and stormed towards the door.

"`Minutes´? Hah! Don't you mean `hours´?", Yosuke opined.

"Oh, boooo!", Rise only said and stuck his tounge out at him. "I have to look good, after all! Who knows whether I'll find the man of my dreams tonight~!"

"She just never changes.", Chie sighed while following her outside together with Yukiko and the others.

"I expect my lounge to be empty except for Yamagishi-sensei once I return.", Naoto said to nobody in particular, but the Fool still sitting on the ground knew exactly who she meant by that as she closed the door behind her, silence returning to the room.

Tick. Tack. Tick. Tack.

The ticking of the clock on the wall was like an ear-deafening jackhammer to Souji who just continued to sit on the ground as he tried piercing the Social Links back together, although unable to repair the done damage.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he reached for the bedside table and tried to heave himself up.

"Here."

Completely startled, he fell back to the ground and whipped his head up to stear at the hand that someone had suddenly extended to him.

"Come on.", the hand's owner said: Kou.

Souji continued to stare at the hand for several moments in disbelief before he slowly reached for the hand with his own hand and let himself be hauled up.

"Good.", the basketball-loving man said before the same hand that had just helped the Fool up punched him back to the ground again.

"Oomph!", Souji groaned as his head hit the bed.

Kou extended his hand to him again. Souji stared up at him in confusion.

"Now we're even.", Kou only said, grabbed Souji and hauled him up once again.

"What-"

"My Shadow's already said it back then.", Kou said and scratched his head. "I'd just used you, Daisuke and the rest of the school back in Inaba for my own purposes. I... don't think I have any right to pass judgement on you, do you?"

"Kou..."

"Now, don't get me wrong! I'm still mad at ya! But... just let it go with that punch to your face, 'kay?", Kou interrupted him again.

Souji only stared at him before he finally nodded.

"Good.", Kou said, relieved, turned around and walked towards the door as well. "Just lay down in my lounge and sleep a wink, 'kay?" He threw his keys at Souji.

"... Huh?"

"Well, I don't think Yosuke and Teddie would want you in their lounge anymore, right?", Kou opined, shrugging."... But... what about Kanji?", Souji asked, insecure.

"Aww, don't worry! I'll get him to move to Yosuke and Teddie's lounge for sure! I'm gonna talk to him during dinner later!", Kou promised him. "He's probably gonna move into an entirely different lounge anyway, I guess..."

"... Huh?"

"Didn't you... notice how they're behaving around each other?", Kou only said and finally left the lounge, Souji following him a short while later.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Fifteen minutes later Naoto was sitting in her lounge once again and was putting on some fresh clothes when someone knocked on the door.

"C-come in!", she said, slightly stammering, and consciously pulled at her clothes nervously.

The door was opened and Kanji stepped in, only to stop dead in his tracks at the door, gaping at her.

"Oh, it's you, Kanji-kun.", Naoto said, still nervous, and nodded.

Kanji held his hands in front of his face.

"U-Um, Kanji-kun?", Naoto asked hesitantly.

Blood started dripping down from Kanji's jaw to the ground.

"Kanji-kun!", Naoto yelled out, grabbed some tissues, pulled his hand to the side and punched said tissues right in his face so that she nearly knocked him out in the process.

"Tha-tha-thanks!", the muscular man managed to choke out, voice rather muffled due to the tissues, while blood continued to stream out of his nose, his eyes still fixated on Naoto's clothes. "... Na-Naoto?"

"Hm-hmm?"

"What's... up w-with those clothes?", Kanji asked her, stuttering.

"Oh... that...", Naoto said and looked down upon the beautiful dark blue blouse she was wearing. "I just thought, well... A completely new Naoto... you understand? Leaving... Leaving all the old things behind...", she tried to explain. "... Too much at once?"

"No, no, no! It looks just fine!", Kanji hurriedly said, his eyes unconsciously zooming in on her cleavage before he finally managed to get his gaze back to eye level. There were usually - to say it with drastic words - had been no curves at all on Naoto's body due to her always using those gauze bandages to constrict her breasts was now - to say it with drastic words once again - an abundant mass of bouncy goodness.

"Oh... Really?"

"Yes, really!", Kanji said nodded so enthusiastically that blood dripped everywhere. "Oh, sorry!", he apologized and tried to wipe the blood that had hit her cheek away with the dirty tissues, making it even worse than before.

"It... It's alright!", Naoto said and stared at the ground. "... What exactly do you want, Kanji-kun?"

"Well, I...", Kanji started to talk, nervously combed through his hair and gulped while staring at her. He finally turned around to the door and said: "Just... wanted ta ask if I shouldn't bring Sensei outside, back from the university, ya know. So that she can wake up again, get it?"

"Oh... Err, right!", Naoto said and nodded, still feeling rather nervous due to her unusual clothes. "Then... should I help you carry her outside?"

"Nah, I can carry her alone, thanks.", he said and took a few steps towards the still sleeping Fuuka before he suddenly stopped and hung his shoulders. "Aww, fuck it!"

"... Kanji-kun?", Naoto asked in confusion and jumped back a bit when Kanji suddenly whirled around and grabbed her shoulders.

"I love you.", he said.

"Wha-wha-?"

"That's why I'm here. Ta tell you. Not 'cuz of Sensei.", he explained, not letting her get a word in.

"I-I..."

"I know, I know! You're in love with Seta, but..." He let go of her and nervously scratched his head. "I mean, ya managed to finally tell 'im, even if it was only ya Shadow that did it, but I thought I jus' had to be that brave, too, and shouldn't keep secrets, ya got it?", he babbled, getting more and more nervous by the second.

"I know that you're in love with me, Kanji Tatsumi."

"'s just fair that I- huh?" Kanji looked at her, dumb-founded.

"I may not be that bright when it comes to the interaction with other people, but even I understood your feelings for me after your stunt naked in my bed and later during the battle against your Shadow, Kanji-kun. I just... didn't want to acknowledge it, because, well...", Naoto explained.

"But-"

"At that time I had just been far too fixated on Seta-senpai to give it any thought.", she continued. "And, really... Why even me?"

"... Huh?"

"What exactly is so special about me that you would ever fall in love with me?", Naoto continued to ask.

"Well...", Kanji began, his eyes wandering down once again before he mentally punched himself in the face and looked her back in the eyes again. "Hey, stop putting yourself down like that, Naoto! 's not cool, ya know!"

"No, really! I'm quite interested to know.", Naoto explained.

"... W-well..", Kanji started once again and blushed a bit. "Do ya still remember the Crossdressing contest in Inaba?"

"... Yes.", was Naoto's only answer to that.

"That damn MC back then had asked me what I find 'specially beautiful 'bout me. Told him `My eyes?´ as 'n answer.", Kanji continued. Naoto nodded. "Well, in that moment I had actually thought 'bout what I like 'bout you the best, Naoto."

"My... eyes?", Naoto asked in puzzlement.

"Yeah. They're just so... well... beautifully clear n' honest and... ugh, that sounds sooo sappy!", Kanji grumbled. "But... you should just see yourself when you're in the middle o' solving a case! They're all sparklin' with determination!" He nodded as if to agree with himself. "I really like that 'bout you! You're always so determined! Your absolute fixation on sumthing until you've finally brought it ta an end! You're stubborn, strong! Just... just perfect in my eyes!"

"I... Err...", Naoto managed to choke, her face now beet-red as well, and looked to the ground.

Kanji, now feeling like a complete fool, did so as well.

"Well...", he finally said after a short while, looked up once again and turned around to the door. "That's... all I wanted to tell ya. I... yeah, I better go now..."

"Kanji-kun."

He stopped dead in his tracks, back still turned to her. "Uh... yeah?"

"Would it... disgust you if I told you that I have... even more secrets I am unwilling to share with you all for now?", Naoto suddenly asked him.

"H-huh?" He turned around in confusion, eyes widening when her lips were suddenly on his.

A minute...

An hour...

A day...

A month...

When their lips finally parted again, it seemed to Kanji as if an eternity had just past by. Unable to believe what had just happened he stared at her lips that were a bit wet from the kiss now.

"What..."

"I love you, too, Kanji Tatsumi."

"Wha-? But... Seta-senpai...", Kanji started to babble in his confusion.

Naoto shook her head, sighing. "That is... part of what I'm unwilling to tell right now.", she replied, cheeks red. "Is it alright for the moment... if I swear that I really, really love you?"

"I...", Kanji began stammering and stared from her lips to her her expectant face behind which she tried hiding her nervousness. "Yes."

"... Thank you, Kanji.", Naoto thanked him with a smile, her face coming closer to his once again. "I love you, really."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Lolboobjokeslol!... Anyway, this is a far as I am going to go with the romance theme in this story. If you can survive this magnitude of sappiness, then you'll be okay for the rest of the story.**

**Now, regarding the quite lively discussion about Souji's intentions in regards to his S. Links: If you the first few sentences of chapter 2, you'll know how he feels. His feelings were already stated in that early chapter. ;)**

**ShinigamiSparda: Oh, I don't know. I rather like this lively discussion, to be honest. And yes, the theme behind the fog plays a bigger role in this fanfiction indeed.**

**mysterious P4 player: Help you publish it in what way? Should I just write stuff like `Hey, try reading this fanfiction, too!´ at the end of my chapters or should I give you some kind of advice? That's what I mean when I'm asking you how I can help you. ;)**

**Also I have posted some spoilers on that site I had posted the link to. I'm not willing to reveal anymore spoilers than those posted over there, sorry.**

**Thank you all for the reviews you have posted so far, everyone!**


	90. Chapter 88

_**Chapter 88: Welcome to Souji & Kou's lounge**_

"Ahaha! Ahahahaha!"

Yuuta looked up from the grave he was currently kneeling in front of and looked over to Mr. Bagman who was lying on his back, happily laughing all the while why holding his hands in front of his face, as if to shield himself from something that was trying to get to him.

"Stop it! Stop it, I say! That tickles!", the old man laughed before he suddenly went completely quiet. It took a moment, then Mr. Bagman finally sat up from the ground, face now full of misery.

"... A new memory?", Yuuta asked him and sat down next to him.

"Hmhmm..." Mr. Bagman nodded, still looking rather down. "We had gotten a puppy dog when our boy had turned one year old; a Labrador retriever. It had taken pretty long to convince Akiko that pets are good for children..." He hit his face behind his hands while Yuuta just stared at him in pity.

Whenever Mr. Bagman's Shadow managed to delete a memory that was locked inside the diary, the real Mr. Bagman was forced to relieve that memory that he had long since sealed away. Just like it had just happened when he had tried to shield himself from an imaginary puppy dog that was trying to lick his face.

"I...", Mr. Bagman began again and sighed deeply, his voice slightly muffled due to his hands in front of his face. "I still can't believe that I sealed all those memories... inside that diary... to forget everyone and everything... At that time... I thought... I thought it was the only right thing to do... but..."

"These flashbacks are getting more frequent.", Yuuta noticed, not really knowing at the moment how to speak encouraging words to the old man, especially when he was becoming more and more desperate himself.

Mr. Bagman suddenly looked up and stared at him, face now rather serious. "You're right.", he agreed. "That... can only mean that he's gathered enough supplies now. Enough to defend himself against any kind of attack and so that he can use the rest of them for the poor Dojima girl..."

Yuuta stared at him with wide eyes and in panic before he jumped up again and stormed back to the grave he had been kneeling in front of just minutes ago. He started talking to it while Mr. Bagman just hung his head in misery again.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Loud noises woke up Souji who was currently sleeping in Kou and Kanji's lounge - or was it now his and Kou's lounge? - slowly and sluggishly.

After he had finally left Naoto's lounge, he had been wandering over the campus for a while, raining falling down without abandon. The crackling raindrops had felt cold and brutal on his skin, just like his heart that had nearly been ripped in two by the slowly disappearing Social Links had felt.

When he had seen the limousine arriving at the gate, he had quickly sneaked back towards the university and had waited for the others to go outside to the car and drive to a restaurant. As expected, they had come out several minutes later as one group, wandering through the corridor towards the exit, led by a giggling Rise and a rather embarrassed looking Naoto. Kanji had been walking in the middle, carrying the sleeping Fuuka, shielded by the others around him so that nobody could see Fuuka's face in case a student should leave his lounge. Yosuke and Chie were bringing up the rear, the music-loving man looking glum and pensive while the brunette was trying to cheer him up in vain.

Several minutes went by after the group had left before Souji finally came out of his hiding place behind one of the stairs, and slowly walked to the lounge he had shared for the last few months with Yosuke and Teddie. He had started to slowly and sluggishly collect his possessions, feeling as if he was about to keel over at any second - was the aura over the university especially strong for people who were emotinally down?.

After he had finally collected all his stuff and was at the door, he let his gaze wander back towards the bedroom one last time, staring at the carpet that was now wet thanks to him walking around in his wet clothes. He had thought about cleaning up the small mess for a few seconds before he had just turned around, laying the key to the lounge on the armoire close to the door. Slowly and sluggishly, he had grabbed his trunk and left the lounge for good, walking over to Kou and Kanji's lounge.

There he taken the key Kou had given him and had opened the door with a deep sigh, entering and tiredly gazing at Kanji's bed over which the muscular man's possessions were strewn about.

Should he just gather everything and then put his things on the bed?

But what if Kanji wouldn't agree to share a lounge with Yosuke and Teddie?

He stared at Kou's bed. Laying down there would be a bad idea as well, especially since Kou still thought Yosuke and he were secretly gay for each other. Finding Souji in his bed could very well make him turn away from the silver-haired Fool as well.

In the end he had just grabbed the sleeping bag from his trunk, had brought said trunk into the kitchen and made himself a sleeping berth there. That way he could still leave the lounge later on or make himself at home if Kanji agreed...

"It's really okay for you, dude?", he could hear Kou talking right now to Kanji in the bedroom.

"Yeah, 's 'kay.", Kanji replied tiredly, accompanied by those loud noises, probably caused by him gathering his belongings. "I mean, if ya hadn't done it, I woulda offered him myself to stay here with me."

"You sure? You're still angry at him after all.", Kou asked.

"'course I'm angry, man!", was Kanji's immediate answer. "But, well... Far as I know there are no lounges free 'nymore. n' lettin' him sleep outside in the hallway's a lil' bit, well... After all, we all agreed that-"

He howled in slight pain suddenly - probably because Kou had stomped on his foot - and stopped talking immediately.

Everything went pretty fast after that. A few more curse words by Kanji who couldn't find some of his things anymore later he was already out at the door and on his way to Yosuke and Teddie's lounge.

Souji waited a moment, then sighed deeply before he grabbed his trunk and entered the bedroom.

"Good morning, sunshine!", Kou greeted him, jumping around on one foot while trying to wrestle out of his trousers.

"... Morning.", Souji mumbled and took a glance at the alarm clock on Kou's bedside table: Three o'clock in the morning. He slowly and sluggishly opened his trunk, took out fresh bedcovers while stuffing the sleeping bag back inside, and set to work in arranging the bed that was his now.

"Hah! Man, Yosuke's going to meet his worst nightmare during the next days!", Kou suddenly laughed while merrily throwing his shirt to the side and crawling under his blanket. "Kanji's turned into a real maniac for housework these last few months! It always has to be absolutely clean or he's gonna explode! Woulda bitten my head off now if he'd seen me throw my shirt to the side and leaving it like that! Haha!"

Souji thought back to how things used to be in his old lounge. It had always been him who had cleaned after the other two. No matter how many times he had pleaded with them to be a bit more tidily so that they could at least see what the floor was and what a piece of pizza, they had never really cared for keeping the lounge clean. Yes, these two would really meet their doom in a few minutes if Kanji was really that extreme...

"... Are you really sure that you want me here?", Souji finally asked the other man after he was finished with his bed and lying beneath the bedcovers as well.

"Absolutely sure!", Kou answered. "Dude, anyone's better than that maniac for housework named Kanji Tatsumi! Brrr!"

"... In earnest, Kou."

The basketball-loving man sighed. "In earnest, man." He sat up, propping himself up on his pillow. "I already told you, I have absolutely no right to judge you. I mean, it's no use trying to deny what my Shadow once said."

"But... you have to be at least a little bit angry, right?", Souji asked and took a moment to search inside his feelings. The Strength Social Link was still there, complete and without any kind of damage, if not even standing stronger than ever before.

"Of course I'm angry!", Kou spat out and pouted a bit. "It's just... I can kinda understand you. I did the same thing... Using other people for my own personal gains so that I wouldn't completely drown in that mass of people..." He looked to the side and sighed again. "Just... promise me to tell me if you want to level up my Link from now on, 'kay? You wouldn't be deceiving me then, now would you?"

"... Huh?"

"Well, I mean, if your Personas are getting stronger due to leveling up the Link, then that's just cool and good, right? More power for us all! You may be able to only summon one Persona for now, but maybe Kirijo-san can find somethin' in the data those researchers left behind, that may be able to help you summon multiple Personas again.", Kou opined, shrugging. "Just... please tell me in advance, then everything's all right with me, 'kay?"

Souji stared at him for a while, then nodded. "Alright.", he said. "Though I don't know if it'll really work like that. Wouldn't it feel... well, kind of forced then? I don't know if it's possible to level up like that."

"Whatever will be, will be.", Kou simply replied. "We'll see if it works or not. Or maybe we could do it like this: You just happily babble about this and that with me, and when you hear somethin' like `Ka-Ching! Level up!´, you just tell me `Kou, dude! You're Social Links just leveled up like crazy, man! You're the best guy ever! Thanks!´. How 'bout that?"

Souji just laughed.

"Hey, he can still laugh! I don't have to send him to repairs after all!", Kou chuckled.

Both men joked around a bit some more like little children and threw their pillows at each other before Kou suddenly sat up again and looked at Souji with a serious expression again.

"We came to some conclusions about your friend on the other side during dinner, by the way.", he said to the silver-haired man.

"Huh?"

"Well, I mean that Messiah guy you've met behind Arisato's seal.", Kou explained. "He'd had his great performance as Naoto's Shadow today."

Souji's face changed from smiling to looking grim in a second. With all that had happened during that short time he had already forgotten all about that thing that had managed to appear outside of the seal and pose as Naoto's Shadow. "What about that thing?", he asked.

"Well, as far as I understand, that thing's been `playing around´ with you far longer than you'd probably like.", Kou started to explain. "I wasn't in your group back then, but do you remember the battle against Teddie's Shadow years ago?"

Souji shortly called to mind the battle against that rather scary looking Shadow they had fought against back then before he nodded.

"Back then Rise had said something when Shadow Teddie had appeared, then had been forgotten rather quickly by all of you later.", Kou continued. "Her answer to Chie-san's question if this is really Teddie's Shadow was: `I believe so, but it seems like there's more... I felt some powerful presence intervene...´."

Souji scratched his head while trying to remember. Had Rise... really said that?

"She felt the same thing during the battle against Naoto's Shadow today.", Kou continued explaining. "And, she wasn't really sure until now, but she thinks she felt that same presence during the battle against Yukiko and Kanji's Shadows as well."

"You mean...? So that means...?", Souji slowly started.

Kou nodded. "If that presence felt just like the presence she had felt during the battle against Teddie's Shadow, then that means that that Messiah has already battled against you as Shadow Teddie years ago."

Souji stared at him for a moment before he looked at the pillow in his hands, lost in thought.

"Naoto's also noticed something else.", Kou finally spoke up again. "She felt a `strong discrepancy between the normal Shadows we've met and the Shadow's that the Messiah is posing at´, as she says."

"O... kaaaaaaaaay.", Souji only said.

"What do Shadows usually want?", Kou asked him.

"Kill... us."

"Not, not really. You're talking about the Shadows that have already gone berserk.", Kou disagreed. "Shadows are repressed feelings and wishes given form. They want their originals to accept them."

- Accept me for who I am! -

Those desperate words Kanji's Shadow had screamed years ago inside the bathhouse resounded in Souji's memory.

"They go apeshit if they aren't accepted and want to distance themselves from their originals as revenge when they have been denied acceptance.", Kou explained. "The Shadows that really had been the Messiah all along were completely pressuring their originals to say the three magical words."

Souji furrowed his brows in thought. Yes, Yukiko's Shadow hadn't been that extreme, but Kanji and Naoto's Shadow had practically forced their originals to shout `You're not me!´.

"In other words: That Messiah thing just wants to `play´ with us. All it wants is to go berserk.", Kou said.

"But... why?", Souji asked. "He said himself that he needs us. So why should he attack and kill us?"

"Uh uh, he said he needs _you_. He never said anything about us, dude.", Kou corrected him. "He may only want to `play´ with you, but he sure as hell would kill us in an instant." He propped us his pillow once again. "Anyway, we believe that it's not really the Messiah who's facing off against us. We think that he somehow manages to invade the Shadow's mind that we encounter. Otherwise, why should he go berserk when, let's say, Naoto screams `You´re not me!´? He's not Naoto's Shadow so he can't go berserk from it. But if he were to just take control over Naoto's Shadow somehow, it would work."

"Whoa, whoa...", Souji only said and shook his head. "Those are some pretty serious thoughts on that matter already. Is Naoto the one who deducted all that?"

"Yap.", Kou said and grinned. "Seems she's pretty much back to normal and just burning with passion for the case again. She also said that the Messiah has probably something to do with the original Investigation Team, meaning the people who'd already been in it in back in Inaba. So far he's only appeared by you guys' Shadows, but not for Kashiwagi, me or Yamagishi-sensei. That thing's connected to you in some way or another."

"Hmm...", Souji hummed in thought. "You think that Messiah thing could actually be the killer? I mean, he somehow manages to get outside, after all. Even though it's not with his own body, but still..."

"Dunno. So far he's always appeared in the TV world, as far as we know. But the killer has smashed Yamagishi-sensei's head against the TV screen in our world.", Kou replied. "It's like you already said: We have to save Ikas first and hope that she can give us some new insight on the case."

"Yeah. And I think we should go inside the TV world again tomorrow. Today-" He took another look at the alarm clock. "Uh... I mean, we should go _today_, and that we didn't get that far through the dungeon _yesterday_."

"Oh... Err...", Kou stammered and looked to the side. "Um... yeah, sure, you're right."

Souji looked at him questioningly. "... Kou?"

"H-hmm?", Kou hummed, quickly turned around and laying down in his bed, avoiding Souji's gaze.

"Is something wrong?"

"Wh-what do you mean? 'course everything's okay, dude! I'm just tired, is all!", Kou babbled. "Anyways, good night!"

"... Night.", Souji only said.

Whatever it was that had Kou acting this way, Souji was sure that he probably wouldn't like it.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Oy, oy, oy, so many reviews and different opinions for the last two chapters! X.X**

**What I've noticed in particular is how the pairing debate has already started. What I can tell you about that is that the pairings in this story aren't my favourite couples as well. If I were to use my favourite couples, then Souji would constantly jump Yosuke's bones in the shower, Daisuke would visit Kou every week for a little alone time, and Chie and Yukiko would be **_**busy**_** in their lounge all the time. So yeeeeaaaah... I do like straight couples (Sora x Kairi, if you know Kingdom Hearts), but for me there aren't any couples in P4 that I'd personally like to see together. So I just chose some couples for this fanfiction. *shrugs***

**Also, couple interaction will be limited to the scene that brings them together. After that you will pretty much only read stuff like `they're sitting close together´ or `staring at each other lovingly´.**

**As for Kou: Some of you were surprised he decided not to turn away from Souji. That's because of his Arcana: Strength. `Strength´ means to stand strong and keep going forward, not straying from the set path. Koromaru was like that as well in P3, but one probably didn't really notice that since a dog can't voice his opinions that well. ^^;**

**Arisato Souji: The Fool Arcana is pretty much the Arcana that stands for the Investigation Team and their will to fight. If they had decided not to fight anymore, it would have started to disappear as well. That's at least how I see it.**

**mangagor: Souji may seem OOC in this chapter, but it's just like how Naoto was all those chapters ago. It may seem strange at first, but an explanation that (hopefully) makes sense will come later for his behaviour.**

**mysterious P4 player: The name is pronounced as follows: `Sid´ like you would just read it and the `eu´ is pronounced like the `eu´ in `Cordon Bleu´. Patty and Hiro's family has some French lineage in them, though that is of no relevance to the story. The link to the spoiler site is this one here: www[dot]theanswerspoiler[dot]blogspot[dot]com**

**Thank you for all your reviews so far, my dear readers!**


	91. Chapter 89: Isolation

_**Chapter 89: Isolation**_

A mirror is like a window through which one can observe oneself. No matter how much one tries to make oneself look more beautiful with make-up and the likes and no matter how much one tries to forget those annoying wrinkles they're sporting, a mirror will always show those unwanted truths to you, no matter what you do.

"I've seen your true self, Souji Seta."

Souji Seta looked up from his seating place on the ground where he sat in complete darkness and stared into the mirror in front of him, reflecting his visage, eyes shimmering yellow and with malice.

"You... are cold-blooded.", the other self inside the mirror said, its facial features becoming older and older, getting more and more wrinkles. "You lie so that others trust you and speak about their heart's worries and fears. They're mere chess pieces that you use in your little game of good and evil."

Souji continued to silently stare at the mirror, face expressionless.

"How many more innocent people do you have to deceive like that to be satisfied?"

"I am-", the silver-haired man mumbled.

"A coward _and_ a liar, indeed.", the mirror's reflection interrupted him, now having to support itself by holding onto a cane, huffing slightly in exhertion. "The people you use will never get to see your true face. So why should you ever have true friends?"

Souji opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again after a few moments in which he didn't manage to utter a single word.

"Aren't you tired of always being rejected and vanishing into the background, like a shadow?", the reflection asked him, now having taken on the form of Mr. Bagman. "Friendship. Trust. Feelings of security. Love. All things you never had... And why should you ever want those in the first place? Hah! Don't make me laugh!" Mr. Bagman's facial features contorted into a condescending sneer. "Things like that are just utterly useless! What good would do you a thousand friends if you're standing there all alone at the end of the day?"

"I... It's my fault..."

"Your fault! Hah!", Mr. Bagman laughed out loud, disgusted. "They're all just egoistic brats, nothing more! Who's the one responsible that they are the people they are now? Who's the one who rescued all of them before their Shadows could slaughter them? And all the thanks you get is this: Being left behind, all alone _once again_! I don't think so, no! None of them can even hope to understand you in the slightest! ... The only one on this world left who could ever understand you is currently trapped in a golden prison."

Souji looked at him questioningly.

"Minato Arisato: He had to go through the same thing, you know.", Mr. Bagman explained. "He, too, was doubted by his friends. That evil Yamagishi girl! ... Humans are just so disgusting! So self-centered! So hasty when it comes to passing judgement on other people! ... What else do you have to do in order to receive at least _some_ kind of recognition from them! Maybe die while protecting them?" He laughed in amusement. "Oooh, that's right! Arisato's already done that, but they still doubted him!"

"As I've already said, it's my fault...", Souji tried to speak again.

"Poor little boy...", Mr. Bagman continued to speak, suddenly growing smaller and smaller, his face getting younger and younger, until he had suddenly become a child version of Souji, fearfully clinging to his teddy bear. "Never loved by his parents who never wanted to have a child in the first place. Just considered as an accident because they had been too horny to use a condom!"

"How...?"

"Poor little boy... Never had any friends throughout his whole life. Everytime he thought that he had finally found someone, his parents just had to move away again, until he finally..." The little child suddenly changed to a Souji in teenager form. "... had lost every interest in forming bonds with other people. And you were right in doing so! Why should you come into contact with someone when you have to leave in a few months again anyway?"

Several dark and faceless figures appeared around Souji's adolescent reflection, the silver-haired reflection in the center of them but also somehow being excluded from them.

"It's much better to create an emotional barrier around oneself through which you can interact with others while never letting them get too close to you."

"How...?"

"Although... One moment of carelessness, and that barrier's completely destroyed in a flash!" Those faceless figures slowly turned into the Investigation Team that was now surrounding Souji's reflection, laughing and pointing their fingers at him. "You give it your all, but at the end of the day you're the one who's been deceived and abandoned by those around you!"

The Investigation Team members suddenly jumped at Souji's reflection that was now sinking to the ground while crying out in pain, suddenly turning into Mr. Bagman who slowly stood up once again. "Where's my recognition for everything I've done, huh? Now matter what I do, I'm always all alone! Always alone... forever alone..."

"How do you know...?"

"I already told you, I've seen your true self, Souji Seta.", Mr. Bagman spoke and took a carefully slow step towards the mirror's glass which seemed to hold him back for a few moments, before the old professor was finally able to stick his leg through it.

Souji's emotionless eyes suddenly turned slightly yellow at the same moment.

"We're both rather similar, my dear.", Mr. Bagman said and stuck his other leg through the mirror's glass outside as well.

Souji's eyes got even more yellow.

"Both us completely lonely, having lost everything precious to us.", Mr. Bagman opined and took more steps forward until he he stood in front of the still sitting Souji. He knelt down and raised the Fool's chin so that he could stare into those now deeply yellow eyes of him, devoid of any emotions. "You and me, we could become the best friends ever, my dear. You and me, we're nearly one and the same person, you know?" And while he spoke his hand that had grabbed Souji's chin just moments ago was now wandering lower and lower until it came to a halt at the Fool's neck which he slowly started to choke. "You... are cold-blooded. Just as cold-blooded as me and my pupil. Just perfect for me..."

His grip on Souji's throat got firmer, tightened more and more, until finally-

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"BORN! BORN! BORN TO BE ALIVE!"

Souji was awake in an instant, sitting upright in his bed at once, and stared around in the room he was currently in. The alarm clock that Yosuke had always standing on his night table was currently blaring `BORN TO BE ALIVE!´ quite loudly instead of its usual beeping sound that was normally more than enough to get them to wake up. That new sound was more than enough to wake up the dead.

"Ugh... Too loud...!", Souji grumbled, his body feeling absolutely heavy - at least too heavy to stand up and smash the annoying clock to pieces -, and held his pillow over his head, trying to block out the offending noise.

"Ahahaha, sorry, dude!", one of his roommates suddenly said from the other side of the room.

Souji startled. That voice didn't belong to Yosuke... nor to Teddie.

"That level of volume's usually the only method that gets Kanji n' me to wake up. Too loud for you, I guess?"

_`Kanji n' me?´_, Souji repeated in his thoughts, still absolutely puzzled, before yesterday's events finally returned to his memory. _`Oh, right...´_ "Definitely too loud...", he grumbled underneath his pillow, the alarm clock finally shutting up.

"Hmm... I could change it to Rammstein or somethin' like that, if you want.", Kou sleepily suggested, head still under his bed covers.

"No thanks. Don't you have something... normal?", Souji asked him, slowly getting out of his bed and yawning loudly.

"Hmm...", was Kou's only answer to that.

"Whatever...", Souji sighed and crawled under his bed in order to grab his trunk where his clothes were still deposited in.

"I HAVE A FEELIN' THAT TONIGHT'S GONNA BE A GOOD NIGHT!"

"What the hell...?", Souji cried out in surprise, only to shout "Ow! Fuck!" seconds later when his head had connected with the bed due to him trying to get up in shock.

"Sorry, sorry! That was the second round, in case Kanji n' me fall asleep again!", Kou hurriedly apologized, now finally awake, and jumped up to turn off the alarm clock.

Slowly and groaning heavily, Souji pulled his trunk from under the bed and threw a slightly annoyed glare at Kou who was currently wandering through the room with the bed covers held in front of his body.

"... Uh, Kou?"

"Hmm?", the basketball-loving man only hummed questioningly while rummaging around in the closet for some pants.

"I... everythink okay?"

"Of course.", Kou answered, on his way to the bathroom, when he noticed how Souji was glancing at the bed covers he was still holding in front of his body. "Oh, that... Well, I just wanna prevent you from getting any weird thoughts, you see."

"... Kou, I'm not gay."

"Yeah yeah, I got ya.", Kou said shrugging, grinned and went into the bathroom to change clothes in there.

Souji sighed deeply. It seemed he really should have tried harder to convince Kou that he and Yosuke weren't going out...

But there were currently more important things to consider, like...

_`Like my friends...´_, he thought.

_`Friends? What friends?´_, another voice in his head sneered.

Souji shook his head. _`... Yeah. That dream I just had is more important... I guess...´_

He tried remembering things abut the dream he had just had while slowly starting to change clothes. He remembered sitting in front of a mirror and that his Shadow had said all those hateful things to him. Somehow it had changed to Mr. Bagman during that speed who had then proceeded to leave the mirror. He didn't remember the finer the details about the dream anymore, though.

_`Bagman again...´_, he thought and sighed again.

The old Literature Professor was still a completel mystery to him. All he knew about the old man was that he seemed to know about the TV world and Shadows. After all, it had been him who had helped them save Patty by giving them all those hints and possibly Adachi's help.

Then there was that cane that had been in their possession for a short time. Mr. Bagman had seemed especially devestated when he had told him that it had been destroyed. That cane had many strange symbols carved into it, together with the letters `U´, `N´, `I´, `Z´ and two `A´'s on them. He thought he also remembered seeing a grinning creature with some sort of whip on it as well.

What intentions had that old man? Was he on their side or not?

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Rays of sunlight brightly fell through the cafeteria's tall windows that Souji and Kou entered a bit later, Kou sitting down at the table were nearly everyone from the Investigation Team was already sitting.

_`Trying to mock me, will ya?´_, Souji thought while throwing a short glance at the sun that was finally shining once again after all this heavy rain when he felt so absolutely miserable.

He sat down in a corner far away from the others who were talking quite animatedly to each others, especially Rise and also Naoto who was wearing her usual clothes once again, not those flashy once from yesterday night. Only those gauze bandages that always restricted her breats seemed to be missing again.

_`Probably too much for at once, huh? Jailbait!´_, the voice in Souji's head sneered once again.

_`Shut it!´_, Souji thought angrily. He observed his former friends while chewing on distustingly dry toast: Yosuke was arguing with Kanji quite loudly over the current disastrous state their lounge was in, next to him Naoto who was trying as best as she could to discreetly touch Kanji's knee with her own knee while talking to Rise.

Yukiko was laughing her ass off about something Chie was talking about, the brunette rolling her eyes at her friend while being completely oblivious to those longing glances Kou was throwing at her.

Patty and Teddie were currently absent. Teddie was probably busy killing stuff in RuneScape. He didn't know what Patty might be doing right now, though.

But still... It seemed to be a completely normal day for the Investigation Team today, as if nothing had ever happened. Completely ignoring that they were one person short now...

"Social Links, huh?"

Souji was thrown out of his thoughts in shock and stared directly at Hiro's face who was suddenly standing in front of him and grinning.

"Oh, it's just you...", Souji replied, and then: "How do you know about them?"

"Patty told me.", Hiro said, still grinning like crazy, and sat down opposite of Souji, chin supported by his hands and staring at the Fool like an especially interesting animal in the zoo.

Souji turned back to his disgusting tasting toast.

"Hmm... You look pretty worn down.", Hiro opined and suddenly laughed. "This is pretty awesome, you know! It's nice that you get to see how I feel for once."

Souji threw a quick glance at him while grabbing his glass and drinking.

"Heeey, does that mean you have a Link like that with me, too?", Hiro asked him, suddenly lying on his back on the table, face directly under Souji's.

"... No.", Souji merely replied while slightly moving to the side, away from him. "And if I had one? What then?"

"Oh, nothing. I mean, I absolutely don't care whether you're using people or not. It's actually quite fun, I guess.", Hiro said, scratched his head in thought and chuckled. "Nope. Don't care at all. But *snrk*! This whole situation's definitely like a soap opera, don't ya think? With all the drama going on? And those Social Links! What is this, a dating simulator game? Bwahahaha!" The brown-haired student continued to stare at Souji who just ate in silence before he suddenly said: "Tower."

"... Hmm?" Souji looked at him once again in question.

"I'd say the Tower Arcana would be quite fitting for me, don't you think?", Hiro ecxplained and sat back down.

"Sorry. Already taken.", Souji replied and thought about the Literature Professor once again.

"`Complete and utter stagnancy´ if the card is in the downward position, right?", Hiro said, grinning. "Pretty fitting for you right now, am I right? Weeeell..." He suddenly jumped and and layed his hand on Souji's shoulder. "It always brings a sudden and drastic change with it, too. Whether that change is gonna be good or not, is another thing, of course..." And with those words and another attempted grope at Souji's butt which the Fool dodged this time Hiro left the cafeteria again.

_`Tower, huh...?´_, Souji thought.

Igor had told him yesterday that he already had all answers right in front of him and that he only needed to ask the right questions to the right people.

_`Well, looks like I should just try leveling up the Tower Social Link, doesn't it?´_, he thought.

_`Trying not the think about what's sitting on the other side of the room, my dear?´_, the voice in his head taunted.

_`You fuck yourself, too!´_, Souji answered back in head, snarling, and stood up.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A cold shudder went through Souji's whole body when he entered the amphitheatre where he always had seminars with Mr. Bagman several hours later. It was not the old professor who was standing on the podium like usual, but Professor Takedo, the always horny professor that had had for a short while as a professor when Mr. Bagman had been sick, who was already trying to position her fat body as best as possible, so that everyone could see absolutely everything about her.

Staring at the professor in disbelief, Souji wandered over to his usual place in the back and startled when someone nearl him suddenly made a disgusted noise. He looked at Yosuke who had made that sound and who was already sitting there with Kou, but was now standing up when Souji sat down next to him. The music-loving man threw a questioning glance at Kou who in return threw an apologetic glance at Souji and followed Yosuke to the front row were Ikas was usually sitting all alone.

There was some small whispering around the other students who were all staring at pointing at Souji who tried to ignore the ruckus around him as best as possible.

"Chrm, chrm...", professor Takedo finally cleared her throat with her sickly sweet voice and adjusted the ridiculous-looking pink reading glasses on her nose. "Good morning my beloved male students", (A lustful glance at the male students in the room who quickly backed away in their seats as far possible.) ,"and... the female part of this seminar." Her gaze continued to longer on Kou, as if he was an especially delicious looking piece of meat. Said man now quickly looked back at the last row where Souji was sitting, as if he absolutely regretted his decision to follow Yosuke to the first row. "I regret to inform you all that good old professor Bagman is once again sick."

There was some relieved mumbling in the room, followed by slight vomiting noises when the students realized professor Takedo would be taking over once again.

"Of course, I will take over the seminars for that poor old man in the meantime. But don't worry: Professor Bagman being sick will have _no_ bad consequences for your exams in about a month. I am in direct contact with professor Bahman and will ensure that you are as prepared as possible." She took off her reading glasses and slowly moved her hands over her breats while uttering the word _`prepared´_. "So, let's begin by _ANAL_yzing the attendance list and seeing if everyone's present."

The students groaned in disbelief at that crude and ridiculous joke.

_`So much for leveling up Bagman's Social Link...´_, Souji thought and stared at the professor in boredom. _`And I have absolutely __**no**__ intention of forming one with that obnoxious woman! And I mean it!´_

He took a warning glance inside his mind, but the voice that usually announced the establishment of a new Social Link stayed quiet.

There was only a quiet snicker coming from that other voice in his head that he had started to hear recently.

_`At least one good accomplishment today. Good!´_

_`Ignorance is bliss, as they, my dear~.´_, the voice in his head suddenly said.

_`... You know, you're obnoxious, too!´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes:**

**Some anonymous reviewer wanted to listen to the soundtrack I made for this story so I've posted it on my spoiler site.**

**ikanlabu: The character who's always using "My dear" and such is always Mr. Bagman (except maybe Igor so sometimes says "My boy"). Every other character who says such things is connected to Mr. Bagman in some way. I'm quite relieved someone has finally noted that since I intentionally made this somewhat of a habit for Mr. Bagman.**

**Natzo: I don't really know how many chapters this story will have in the end. The only thing I **_**can**_** tell is that we're through about 45 % of the story now. Of course, that doesn't mean that I will definitely write the same amount of chapters in the future. The remaining 55 % could be over in like 30 chapters or so, if I decided to do so. I really, really don't know how long the story's gonna be. ^^;**

**As always, thank you for all the reviews that have been submitted! =)**


	92. Chapter 90: Rejection

_**Chapter 90: Rejection**_

_`I just wanna die right now, right here...´_

Nanako Dojima looked up from the shop window she was currently standing in front of and sparing longingly glances at some of the new dresses for this summer on her way home. She noticed a rather cranky and pale looking teenager that was passing her on the street.

_`Ugh! Why does it always have to be so hot whenever the sun comes out?´_

Nanako's gaze wandered towards an older, fat woman who was fanning air at herself with the help of the fashion magazine in her hands, staring miserably at the sun who was finally shining once again after all that heavy rain.

The twelve year old girl sighed, threw a last glance at the pink dress and finally continued walking home.

_`She's so cute!´_

She looked over to a married couple that was sitting at a Café on the other side of the street. The wife was throwing rather enchanted looks at her. Nanako blushed a bit at being called `cute´, and hurriedly continued on.

... It had started a few days ago in the evening when Nanako and Noriko Kashiwagi had sat in the living-room watching TV, Jack Frost peacefully snoring in Nanako's lap.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Flashback:

_`Hmm... A cold beer would be really nice now... Too lazy to get up, though...´_

"Should I get you one, Noriko?", Nanako had asked the nanny who had immediately stared at her in confusion.

"Come again, Nanako-chan?"

"I mean, a beer. You want one, right?", Nanako had answered and stood up, inconspicuously laying Jack Frost down on the pillow she had been sitting in the process.

"Um... Yeah, sure..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Nanako hadn't noticed it back then, but Kashiwagi hadn't voiced her wish for a cold beer aloud back then, but had only thought it.

Only a day later when her homeroom teacher had entered the classroom had she noticed that something wasn't quite right...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Flashback:

_`Terauchi: B... Megure: D... Dojima: C...´_

"Whaaaat?", Nanako had shouted in horror and jumped up from her seat. "Sensei, that can't be right! Why do I only get a C?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

That afternoon Nanako had had to sit through detention since her classroom teacher had immediately suspected her of cheating in some way for knowing her current grade.

Ever since then it had only continued to get worse: Not only could she hear other people's thoughts, but also other people's feelings, their likes, their hates and other such things were no longer a secret to her. It was especially annoying when Kashiwagi got one of her highs from drinking too much, only to then completely break down when she had vomit it all out again. Those feelings affected Nanako in the absolute worst way.

Nanako had tried to block out feeling and hearing all those things, though without success for now...

"I'm back!", Nanako shouted when she entered the Dojimas' house and took off her shoes like a good girl at the trance. She walked - a little bit tired from all those thoughts she had picked up during school time and on her way home today - through the hallway and towards the kitchen. Nobody was there.

"Hmm...", the twelve year old mumbled, her gaze wandering toward the fridge where she found a notice from Kashiwagi telling her that the nanny was currently away to get some things and that she should please eat the already prepared meal that was stored away in the microwave.

Nanako deposited her satchel next to the fridge, walked over to the microwave and looked carefully inside.

_`Instant meal... Thank god!´_,she thought, set the timer to three minutes and clicked on the ON button. She really wouldn't be able to stomach food that Kashiwagi had cooked herself; her stomach was already feeling far too queasy for that.

The food needing a few more minutes until it was ready, Nanako went back to the fridge and took out a package of ice tea before she threw some slow and slightly panicked glances around. Having made absolutely sure that Kashiwagi really wasn't at home, she quickly grabbed one of those drinks that tasted so sweet, but actually were full of alcohol out as well.

She sneaked through the house as if she was a criminal escaping from prison, and entered her room where she hurriedly opened her dresser and threw some of her clothes to the side. She sighed deeply while staring at all those other unopened alcoholic drinks that were hidden underneath the clothes, and quickly deposited the drink she had just stolen from the fridge there as well, throwing the clothes back over the drinks.

"I'm sorry, Noriko, but... I miss Dad and Big Bro too much...", Nanako mumbled miserably, going through everything she had planned in her mind once again. She jumped up in horror when Jack Frost who had been sleeping on Nanako's bed until just now suddenly jumped unto her shoulder. "Don't startle me like that, Jack Frost! Geez!", Nanako gasped, still in shock, as she closed the dresser again and went back to the kitchen where the food was ready now. "Hot! Hot!", she whined when she tried to take the plate in her hands. She took some mittens and carried the food and the package of ice tea with that over to the living-room where she sat down on one of the pillows in front of the table, eating.

She threw some glances at Jack Frost who watched her curiously.

It seemed the grinning snowball spent all of the time that Nanako wasn't at home sleeping in her bed. The rest of the day that she was at home, the snowman wreaked havoc upon the Dojimas' house, getting Nanako in trouble more than once when things like brooms were suddenly were thrown out of the broom closet, hitting Kashiwagi square in the face in the process. It apparently spent all that time she was away to rest and gather new strength so that it could all out again once she returned.

The grinning man in the violet room hat once explained to her that Jack Frost needed especially much sleep so that he could completely recover and become stronger. That would also be to her benefit one day, the man had said.

"Hmm..." The twelve year old rested her gaze on her half-finished meal. "Could it be that I got those abilities because Jack Frost got stronger...?"

She gasped the next moment when Jack Frost started to lick her neck.

"Ahahaha! That tickles! Stop, stop it!", Nanako chuckled and quickly shoved some of her food into the snowballs mouth so that he stopped attacking her neck. "Hee hee! You're a little tyrant, aren't you?"

Jack Frost only continued to grin like always, happily chewing on its food.

~.~.~.~.~.~

The night threw its dark veil over Tokyo, and with it the rain started falling relentlessly once again. Thus the reason the corridors were filled with students who were talking to each other rather loudly - that annoying Mr. Bagman who was usually patrolling through the corridors like an oversized bat on a hunt was sick after all, so they just had to use that chance to do whatever they wanted - while Souji and Kou, who was avoiding Souji's gaze the whole while for some reason, were wondering towards Naoto's lounge.

"I hope we can get a bit farther through the dungeon than last time.", Souji said yawning, the aura over the university doing its best to make them absolutely tired, as usual.

"Err... yeah... I hope so, too..", Kou mumbled and continued to stare outside one of the windows against which the rain was pounding like an especially aggressive drummer.

Souji stared at him and wondered for the hundredth time what exactly was wrong with Kou. Had he changed his decision about letting him stay in his lounge after all?

But his curiosity finally found an end when they entered Naoto's lounge where everyone arrived slowly one after the other. Fuuka had to practically cling to Naoto's writing table in her tiredness so that she wouldn't fall to the ground.

"You won't enter the TV world with us together any longer.", were Yosuke's first words, addressed to Souji, when they had all arrived.

"... Wh-wha-" Souji stared at him in disbelief and looked at the others who just stared back grimly.

Kou was stubbornly avoiding his gaze.

"We can't have any more arguments in that other world.", Naoto simply explained from her seat at the writing table, in front of her computer.

"I..."

"You can't do this!", Fuuka protested, barely managing to choke out the words. "Souji-san isn't... He's not..." But her body started to give in, her had crashing forwards, Kanji barely catching her in time before she crashed into Naoto's writing table head-first.

"Kanji-kun will take over leading our group. His Persona is the strongest we have right now anyway since it's reached the next level.", Rise said and turned towards the TV together with the others through which Kou hurriedly jumped through to avoid any confrontation with Souji.

The silver-haired Fool just stood there for a moment, indecisive, before he took a step forward.

"Just stay there!", Chie, being the last one who had to enter the TV world, snapped at him in warning.

"But I... You need m-"

"Pshah! Your absolutely amazing abilities as a Wild Card have long since vanished! Your not one single bit stronger than we are so we don't need you at all!", Chie shouted at him. "Failji!"

And she briskly walked through the TV screen with those words, leaving a completely speechless Souji behind.

"Yukiko-senpai, Patty, could you please help me over here?"

Souji's whole body cringed when he heard Naoto speaking, and he looked over to the young detective who had turned back towards her computer, eagerly tapping away at it.

"Oh, sure!", Yukiko said and walked over to her together with Patty, treating Souji like air.

"I'm not especially good with computers, though, so don't expect anything great out of me.", Patty warned her, sitting down on the working table next to the computer while Yukiko brought the other chair in the room over with her and sat down next to Naoto.

"That's quite alright, Patty. I just want your opinion on something that I'm currently analyzing.", Naoto answered, a smile on her lips while she focused on the computer screen.

"I...", Souji slowly began to speak. "Can I... help you, too?"

"Hey, how did you do that?", Patty suddenly asked in confusion and tried to point at the screen with her finger.

"F5 button, Patty. Ever heard of it? It saves a lot of pointlessly clicking around with the mouse pad.", Naoto joked in amusement and gently swatted away Patty's hand so that she couldn't dirty the screen with her fingers.

"Well, excuuuuse me, Princess!", Patty laughed out loud.

"... Princess?"

"You don't know `Zelda´?", Patty asked her in disbelief.

"Who's Zelda? A student at Tanaba University?"

"Ooooh my, you poor thing! Don't worry, I'll find a way to enlighten you! Patty-sama herself will give you some thorough lessons in video game history tomorrow!", Patty babbled while Yukiko just continued to smile at them. "Hiro's going to lend me some of his games, whether he wants to or not! Seminar full of cultural enrichments for Naoto-chan, here we coooome!"

"Um... A-all right.", Naoto only said and hurriedly focused her attention back to the screen, feeling a bit awkward now.

None of the three women batted an eyelash when the entrance door suddenly opened and closed, the fourth person having just now left the lounge without a word.

Only when he was completely gone did those three throw short meaningful glances at each other before returning to their analysis.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"So? Why exactly are you hear now, brat?", Nikita Uchitaka asked a rather sheepish looking Souji who was sitting at the counter of his gay bar a few hours later. "Not that I appreciate having an employee who comes over to get some extra work done here without giving me any warning in advance, but that's not how it goes, you know! I've got enough cute boys working and talking with those old gentlemen over there already today. So what exactly do you want if you can't work here tonight?"

Souji only sighed as an answer and took another mouthful of the beer he had ordered.

"That bad?", Nikita asked and threw an absolutely fake seductive look at the customer who had just entered the bar.

Souji sighed deeply and loudly once again.

"Argh, you can't just go on like that, you little brat!", Nikita snapped at him and through his cleaning rag on the counter in annoyance. "All that negative energy's making me feel completely depressed, too! Not to mention that you're giving my customers the creeps! Not got for my business, ya know!" Souji just continued to stare at the glass in front of him, and Nikita's annoyed glare was replaced by a worried stare for a quick moment. "What's wrong, studmuffin, huh? You're usually so absolutely cheeky! Girlfriend ran away with an even hotter guy than you or what?"

Souji impassively stared at the stage for a moment where the current band was doing its best to entice the customers before he quietly asked: "... What do you do when you're absolutely alone in this world?"

"Huh?" Nikita looked at him in confusion before he laughed. "What are you talking about, brat? Just look around you! There are dozens of people here in this bar alone! How could you ever think you're all alone in this world, huh?"

Souji stared at his glass of beer again.

"Okay, okay, geez! I'm sooo sorry I wanted to lighten up the mood a bit with a joke or two! You don't have to act all gloomy and emo again!", Nikita said, rolling his eyes, while straightening his wig that had started to come off a bit. "So, you think you're all alone, bra- Souji. How come?"

"I've... lost all of my friends.", Souji answered, voice slightly choked.

"Dead?"

"No, not like that. They... treat my like air.", Souji explained. "So what should I do... now that I'm all alone once again...?"

"Pfft!" Nikita looked at him in disbelief. "If they don't wanna talk to you anymore, then I just say: Screw 'em!" He motioned around the bar. "Look around you, brat! This bar is filled with just a teensy bit of the fraction of people living on this planet! If they don't wanna associate with you anymore, just look for some other friends! You can't call people who just let you hang like this `friends´ after all, now can you?"

"Hmm..."

"This world is disgusting, dirty and depressing enough as it is! You can't just let things like this get you down, brat!", Nikita continued to speak. "You either yell at them and make them take the stick out of their asses or you just ignore them like the pieces of shits they are! Simple as that!"

"... It... It's my fault that things are like they... are now...", Souji mumbled. "I... did something stupid..."

_`Lies!´_,the voice in his head suddenly spoke again, startling the Fool. _`Your fault? Hah! Don't make me laugh, my dear!´_

It was Nikita's turn to sigh deeply now. "That's life for ya, bra- Souji. As long as you're nice n' polite to other people, you will receive the same amount of kindness from them in some way or another. But if you even dare do something that they don't like, they're through with you! Then you're just an absolute annoyance that they wanna get rid of for them!" His gaze turned somewhat nostalgic as if he was remembering something, as he continued: "Reality is always what you believe it is to be, you know? Let's just take a person who's accused of doing something really bad at court: He can be as innocent as he wants! He's already the guilty perpretrator in everyone's mind, no matter what! And this is the only truth they'll accept: That he's guilty!

It's probably like that for you as well! You've done something stupid, and that fact becomes the only legal truth in the others eyes. Nothing else you ever did matters except that you've done `something stupid´. Everyone perceives things differently and creates their own truth for themselves like that, brat."

Souji stared at him for a while before he said: "For a strange old guy, you say some pretty wise things from time to time."

Nikita's head went red in an instant as he angrily yelled: "GET THE FUCK OUT, YOU DAMN UNGRATEFUL BEATNIK!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Somewhat later again found Souji laying awake in his bed when Kou tiredly entered the room and went straight to bed, smelling somewhat funny.

Souji stared at the hair of the other man that stood out from under the covers.

_`"Everyone perceives things differently and creates their own truth for themselves like that, huh"...´_,he thought and stared at the ceiling. _`My truth and their truth... I wonder how far apart they're from the real truth... Too far apart to reconcile? I just don't know anymore...´_


	93. Chapter 91: Realization

_**Chapter 91: Realization**_

As always these last few days, Akihiko was sitting at his writing table in his office at Tanaba University, studying the data he had gathered about Yukari together with the help of Fuuka when someone suddenly knocked at the door.

"Come in.", he merely mumbled, eyes still focused on the text in front of him.

A rather exhausted looking Naoto entered the room, rubbing her slightly aching eyes, and sat down on the chair in front of Akihiko's writing table after he had motioned her to do so.

"And? How was tonight's investigation?", Akihiko asked, still not looking up from the data.

"Well, the group seems to have made some good progress through Ikas-san's dungeon.", Naoto asnwered him. "Yamagishi-sensei is lying in the bed in my lounge as always, waiting for you to fetch her, by the way."

"Good. That's exactly the reason why I'm still here.", Akihiko replied, closed the data file on his laptop and stretched his aching limbs before he finally looked at Naoto. "By the way, I've seen Souji wandering around the corridors towards Ichijo's and Tatsumi's lounge. Wasn't he with the others during today's investigation?"

"That's Kou-senpai and Seta-senpai's lounge now.", Naoto corrected him, making him raise an eyebrow in question. "And yes, Seta-senpai wasn't part of the investigation today indeed."

Akihiko leaned a bit over the table now and studied Naoto's facial expressions that seemed to have hardened somewhat now. "... What exactly's going on?", he finally asked.

Naoto just stared at him for a while, then sighed. "Due to the current situation, it is better for all of us if Senpai doesn't enter the TV world anymore.", she replied.

"Current investigation?", Akihiko inquired further. "And why exactly shouldn't he enter the TV world anymore? He's the investigation team's leader after all! Nobody can replace him! It'll only lead to problems for sure!"

"There could be even bigger problems if he were to enter the TV world.", Naoto calmly disagreed. "We're already one person short due to losing to a Shadow once again. Nobody of us wants to risk having a Shadow of Senpai appear in the other world before us."

"A Fool's Shadow, huh... No, I doubt that anyone would want to see that.", Akihiko agreed. "But... what exactly is going on, Shirogane?"

"Social Links.", Naoto saimply answered, Akihiko's eyes widening a bit. "I guess you can imagine the impact that little piece of information had on our team."

"I...", Akihiko said and looked to the side. "Well, considering that _that_ topic also caused a slight catastrophe among SEES... Yeah, I can imagine."

It was now Naoto's turn to stare at him in question.

"After we'd heard the whole truth about Social Links and such, there had been a big discussion about Minato Arisato's intentions.", Akihiko told her, sounding as if he would rather not talk about it.

"... I can imagine.", Naoto said nodding and tried to block out the protectiveness that immediately tried to well up in her over her cousin.

"That discussion is also the reason why we don't know what Yukari Takeba's been up to these last few years. She'd distanced herself from us quite a bit in disgust after some of us had started to doubt Minato.", Akihiko continued to explain. "And Aigis was pretty close to her. That's why we'd also lost contact with her since she was always with her. Although Aigis'd always send us some reports about what she had been doing until about a year ago."

"I see..."

Akihiko stared her directly in the eyes. "Shirogane...", he started speaking, voice serious. "Letting the Investigation Team fall apart over this is-" But he stopped when Naoto raised a hand.

"I have already discussed the matter with the others, Sanada-san.", the young detective explained. "We've come to a decision during the dinner in the restaurant, and nothing anybody else says will change that. I'm sorry, Akihiko-san."

Akihiko sighed deeply. "... And what is that decision you've all made about exactly?", he finally asked.

"The only one who can answer that question is Seta-senpai himself.", Naoto answered him. "_When_ or even _if_ that will ever happen is all up to him."

Akihiko stared at her for a while before he nodded. "I understand."

"Thank you, Akihiko-san.", Naoto said smiling and then suddenly leaned over the table as well, quickly grabbing the pen and notepad in front of Akihiko, writing:

_- How save do you think this room is against eavesdropping? -_

Akihiko read the small note she had written and threw a quick glance at her before he grabbed the pen as well and wrote:

_- I can't promise anything regarding that. Considering how they (whoever they are) knew about our training at the Kirijo Group's traing hall, we can't be sure of anything at all right now. -_

Naoto nodded and stared out of the window against which rain was still pouring in streams. She looked back at Akihiko. "The rain just won't let up at all.", she said to him while she wrote at the same time:

_- Thanks to Yukiko-senpai and Patty I've come to some new conclusions about Ikas Ito. But I can only give you more detailed information once I've question Ikas-san herself. -_

"Yeah, you're right. That stupid weather's gonna mess up my training. I have to stay in shape after all.", Akihiko replied while hurriedly scribbling:

_- I understand. -_

"Training? What kind of training?", Naoto asked in fake interest and scribbled down:

_- I've also taken a look at the report that Kurosawa-san has written about Takeba's corpse. I think it's just like you and Yamagishi-sensei think: The same method that has been used at those children who have been murdered has also been used at her. -_

"Oh, this and that.", Akihiko replied. "Power Walking and doing Squats are quite efficient ways, though." He quickly wrote down:

_- So the guy who killed the kids got her as well? -_

"Hmm... Well, seeing as how you look very healthy indeed, I guess it really _is_ quite a good training.", Naoto opined and wrote:

_- Not necessarily. But it's just like you think: Takeba has no injuries or anything at all, just like those children. She's just lying there, as if she's asleep. But we've also seen that phenomen here at this university more than once as well: Kou-senpai, Patty, Yamagishi-sensei and also Ikas-san now were also found like that, body completely motionless. It's just like with them: If we can find out where they hid her so -_

But she didn't get to finish her message since the door was opened the next moment and Chidori Yoshino entered the room.

"Oh, my apologies, Sanada-san. I didn't know you had a guest.", Chidori said, stopping at the threshold and staring curiously from Naoto to Akihiko.

"No, no, that's not a problem at all. We're finished here, anyway.", Akihiko answered her, Naoto nodding in agreement, and quickly hid the notepad in his trouser pocket.

"Good night then, Akihiko-san. Yoshino-san.", Naoto said, quickly bowed before both of them and left the room, throwing a last analyzing glance at Yoshino as the door was closed behind her.

_`Are you the one eavesdropping on us...?´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It was inside a completely dark room in which it smelled quite nastily.

"How long do you think until he finds out about it?", a young male voice asked.

"Hmm... Who can say that...", a rather old, wheezing voice answered. "The puppet may find out one day that it's been used by me all this time instead of being the one in command, it may not. But no matter what may happen, one thing is already quite certain: I will soon need a new puppet. This old one here has long since seen its best days."

"Hmph..." A bright light suddenly appeared in the younger person's hand.

"... You want to get rid of me?", the old one asked.

"Well, since I know who you'd like to make your new puppet..."

"That would be rather foolish of you, I'd say. You've kept quiet for so long, made him think that he's the one pulling the strings this whole time, and now you just want to end it so suddenly?" The old figure laughed hoarsely. "You yourself said that you wanted to see it!"

"... I didn't know back then that it would take so long."

"Well, all those equations I had shown you years ago should have already shown you what a long road it would be. But let me tell you one thing now: We are _so_ close! Don't ruin everything now!"

A few moments of silence went by before the light disappeared, darkness throwing its veil other the room once again.

"Good boy.", the old voice spoke. "And now, let me go back to sleep. It would be rather bad - for both of us, of course - if the puppet were to find out now that it has never been the one giving the orders."

The younger one nodded. "Alright... Ebisu..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

When Souji lazily woke up during the afternoon of the next day he was rather surprised at first to find himself lying on a couch next to a cradle. Puzzled, he sat up and looked around, the days' events slowly coming back to him.

Since his former friends didn't want him on their investigation trips in the TV world anymore, he had called Tajibayaki's, asking them if he couldn't watch over Shinji - and Hisano as well, of course - while they went out for a bit, leaving Souji with at least _something_ to do to get his mind off of things. Naturally, the married couple had happily agreed immediately, and so he had went to the city after his seminars had been over, feeling wide awake in an instant after he had left the campus, and had spent time with the little brat Shinji and Hisano who had insisted on making self-made and fresh orange suice together with him.

"It's quite good and full of nutriments for you and my cute little grandson.", Hisano had told him and asked him to go take a look how Shinji was doing while she was making the juice.

After going to the living-room and getting the pacifier thrown at him by Shinji which hit him square in the eye - a future professional basketball player, maybe? -, the silver-haired Fool immediately returned to the kitchen, one hand over his now hurting eye. He had nearly caused Hisano a heart attack when he had asked her how things went along with the juice.

"Y-you're already back, Souji-chan? That was fast!", Hisano had said, her hands that was carrying the orange peels to the trash can shaking a bit.

"... Well, Shinji seems fine so I came back to see how you were doing.", Souji had told her, remembering that he had to be patient with her due to her Alzheimer's disease.

"O-oh... r-right.", Hisao had said to that, nodding, and had handed him a glass full of the juice.

After that both of them had returned to the living-room, sitting down on the couch with Shinji now sitting on Hisano's lap, and...

_`... and I absolutely can't remember what happened after that...´_, Souji thought, rubbing his eyes sleepily and looked around once more. Shinji was peacefully sleeping in his cradle.

"... Hisano-san?", Souji wearily called through the room and sat up from the couch. His legs immediately gave in and he fell to the ground. "Omph! What the-?" Startled, he stood up again, nearly falling down a second time, everything around him looking quite blurry. "What is..." His heart suddenly started beating faster, a horrible thought coming to his mind.

"Hisano-san!", he suddenly shouted through the house.

No answer.

"Shit...!" He slowly wobbled through the house and into the kitchen where he opened the trash can rather awkwardly and rummaged around for the peels. a small empty package fell out with them, the pills that had been in there meant to calm down people who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, but could easily make you quite sleepy if you took too many of them. "HISANO-SAN!", he barked through the house again, slight panic welling up inside him.

Still no answer.

_`Damnit! She really wanted me out of the kitchen so that she could mix those pills into my juice!´_, he thought, his thoughts now free from the effects of the pills and not clouded anymore, while his body still didn't quite react like he wanted it to.

He managed to get back into the living-room where he grabbed Shinji - who had woken up and was now screaming loudly - and brought him into his room where he deposited him into the playpen, grabbing the mobile phone on his way there. He called the Tajibayaki's and informed them with a still sleepy voice what Hisano had done before he stormed out of the house, finally able to run again.

_`Run, Souji! Run!´_, the malicious sounding voice in his head cackled in amusement.

"Oooh, who do we have here? The little spoiled brat from yesterday!"

Souji whirled around and stared cross-eyed at the man in the neighbour's garden whom he recognized as Nikita after a few seconds. "Hisano's run away!", he shouted at him and continued running.

"Wha-what...?" Startled, Nikita threw the he had been using to tend to the garden despite all the heavy rain to the side and ran after Souji. "What do you mean by that?", he asked, already out of breath after a few metres.

"She's run away!", Souji only repeated, desperate. "I don't know where she went! Who knows what might happen!"

"Oh god...", Nikita mumbled as they stopped in front of a red traffic light. "And the old lady's got-"

"Alzheimer's disease, I know! She could do god knows what in the condition she's in!", Souji shouted, traffic light finally green again.

They both continued running through the city, Souji running to the west at the next crossroads while Nikita ran southwards.

_`Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!´_, was the only thought in Souji head, the voice in his head cackling in absolute delight, while he continued running through Tokyo, head whipping around in all directions. At the same time he threw glances into his own self at the Temperance Social Link again and again. If something had happened to her, then the Link would change somehow as well, right? If it vanished...

Souji shook his head, his heart sinking even further, ran into another street- ... and stopped dead in his tracks in horror.

There at the crossroads, just a few metres away from him, where three cars, completely destroyed and their parts scattered over the whole street. Near those cars, whole body shaking, was...

"Hisano-san!", Souji shouted and started running again, his legs feeling like they were made of lead now.

Hisano who was sitting on the ground, three medics around her, didn't seem to register Souji's screams and everything else that was going on around her at all while she just stared at the street.

"Hisano-san!", Souji yelled again, now having reached the old lady, and knelt next to her. Her whole body was shaking violently. "What happened here?", he asked one of the medics.

"Are you related to her?", the medic asked him.

Souji shook his head. "I'm an acquaintance of her! What happened?"

"... She wanted to cross the street while the traffic light was still red. The driver in the car that was speeding towards her could still dodge her, but he crashed into two other cars in the progress. Those other two drivers are okay, but the one who dodged her..."

He stared toward the cars where several medics where currently trying to reanimate a person lying motionlessly on the ground.

Souji quickly looked away from them, away from all the blood.

"... Souji-chan?"

Souji slowly looked back to Hisano who seemed to have finally noticed him. A few moments went by, then... "HAVE YOU GONE COMPLETELY CRAZY!", the silver-haired Fool shouted at her in absolute fury and despair. "YOU COULD BE DEAD NOW! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID! YOU CAN'T JUST! NO! I DON'T WANT ANYONE ANYMORE TO...!"

Pictures of the Investigation Team who could die in the TV world at any minute started appearing in his head.

"I CAN'T JUST LET A SO-...!"

He stopped. _`Social Link...?´_

_`Yes, Social Link! What else might you be worried about, but that the Social Link you have with her might disappear!´_, the hated voice in his head sneered in answer.

Memories of the battle against Izanami-no-Okami during which his friends had jumped in front of him to defend him against the deadly attacks came flooding back.

_`No...! They're not just Social Links... They're...´_

_`They're just damn Social Links that need leveling up, nothing more, my dear! Don't be a fool, Souji Seta!´_, the voice in his head snarled.

"I DON'T WANT TO LOSE A FRIEND LIKE THAT!"

_`Friend! Not Social Links... Friends!´_

_`FOOLISH BOY!´_

"Souji-chan...", Hisano stammered and slowly reached out with her hand to wipe away the tears that had suddenly started to trickle down Souji's face, her own face full of them now. "I'm... so sorry... I was just... so lonely... I..."

She took him in her arms.

The voice in Souji's head had suddenly gone completely quiet.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It was once again late at night when the part of the Investigation Team that could still fight was thrown out of the TV and right into Naoto's lounge, all of them really tired and completely drenched.

"Oh man! That stupid Shadow! Now I have to go to the infirmary and get some new bandages!", Chie snarled, glaring at the wet and completely ruined cast on her broken arm.

"What happened?", Naoto asked them while Kou and Patty catched Fuuka before she crashed to the ground in her sleepy state and carried her to the bed.

"Some stupid Shadow thing threw us into one of them moors there.", Kanji grumbled.

"I... can smell that...", Yukiko managed to choke out, having run to Chie immediately to check on her, but now taking as much distance to the others as possible.

"But something good came out of that.", Rise opined, wrestling with the seaweed that just didn't want to come off of her clothes. "If we hadn't fallen down there, we would have never have found the secret passage there."

"Secret passage?", Patty repeated curiously.

"Yeah. There's some kinda underwater passage that leads to where Ikas is holed up.", Kou explained.

"We'll be going in there again tomorrow and rescue her.", Yosuke said. "It's far too late today and we're all too tired to-"

But he stopped when someone suddenly knocked on the entrance door.

"... Who's there?", Naoto asked and slowly went to the door. It would look rather suspicious for the one standing in front of her lounge now if that someone saw so many people in one lounge at once, especially with them all being soaked and not smelling that nicely right now.

"It's me.", came the hesitant reply from Souji from the other side of the door.

Naoto hesitated a bit before she slowly opened the door. "... What do you want?"

Souji cringed a bit at Naoto's cold voice before he said: "Can I... come in?"

"Hmm... I'm afraid not."

"Can I... please talk?"

"Hmm..." Naoto looked at the others, exchanging meaningful glances with them, before she looked back at Souji. "... Alright then. Let us talk."

Souji took a deep breath before he slowly entered the lounge.

_`Here goes nothing...´_


	94. Chapter 92: A Fool's story

_**Chapter 92: A Fool's story**_

There had been a huge argument at the Tajibayaki's house when Mr. and Mrs. Tajibayaki had returned home. Souji who had thought that the married couple would place the whole blame on him had immediately pounced on Hisano instead, shouting and snarling at her for secretly giving the pills that were meant for her to Souji. Hisano had merely sat there with glassy eyes, staring at the wall, while Souji had stood next to her, holding the loudly wailing Shinji in his arms, unable to help her in any way, too lost in his own internal dilemma.

_`Brings back painful memories of __**that**__ with your former friends, doesn't it~?´_ the voice inside his head had hissed at him to which he couldn't form a retort at all.

Finally, after the Tajibayaki's had apologized profusely for Hisano's `inexcusable and condemnable behaviour´, he had slowly walked back towards the university.

_`They didn't even give her a chance to defend herself in any way... They just went on and on, screaming at her all the while...´_, he thought while waiting for the tram at the station.

_`That's just how people are. Soo self-centered and egoistic. Quick to judge. Just disgusting!´_, the voice in his head had started talking to him again. _`Just ignore everything around you and let me tak ov-´_

_`Shut it!´_, Souji had snapped in his thoughts and had entered the tram that had just arrived at that moment.

_`Hah! How long are you going to keep deluding yourself, Souji Seta?´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

And now Souji Seta was sitting inside Naoto's lounge once again, once again surrounded by his former friends of the Investigation Team, once again sitting on the ground and leaning against Naoto's bed, once again staring to the ground.

"So, let's get down to business already, shall we!"

Souji startled and stared up at Yosuke who had just uttered almost the same words he had spoken that night they had learned about Social Links, again sitting on Naoto's night table and waiting impatiently.

Souji opened his mouths, but no words managed to get out, so he closed it again and stared back at the ground again.

_`It's useless! They'll never understand you, my dear!´_, the voice in his head laughed.

Yosuke's finger tapped on the night table for a moment in impatience before he finally jumped up and sighed. "It's no use trying to get an answer out of him!", he said, annoyed, and walked to the door. "I'm dead tired, completely wet and just so sick of that guy! I'm gonna go to my lounge now, bye!"

_`Ooooh, he's really angry~!´_, the voice chuckled. _`Just face the reality of things, my dear! You and the rest of those brats will walk different paths from now on, for the rest of your lives! You're completely __**alone**__, just like it should be! And it will stay like this __**forever and ever**__!´_

"I'm... sorry!", Souji suddenly shouted.

Yosuke's whole body stopped dead in its tracks in front of the, hand already at the doorknob. "Haha...", the music-loving man laughed quietly before starting to laugh hysterically, whirling around and walking back briskly to Souji. "What, you really think that'd change anything? You think you tell us `Oh, I'm sooo sorry, guys! I didn't mean it!´, and we would all be like `Oh, don't worry, Leader! Let's go pound some Shadow and be best friends again! Yay!´? DEFINITELY NOT!"

"I-I..."

"Yosuke-senpai!", Naoto spoke in an admonishing tone. "Please calm down!"

"What? Why should I-", Yosuke started in fury.

"She's right, man! You're acting a bitt too crass, ya know!", Kou opined.

"Oh, you don't have any right to say anything, Kou! _You're_ the one who let him stay in his lounge, crawling up his as-"

"Yosuke-senpai!", Rise snapped at him. "Stop it! You're letting it affect you too much again! Just stop!"

_`Letting "what" affect him?´_, Souji wondered in confusion.

_`His own stupidity, my dear! What else?´_, the voice laughed, although sounding a bit worried at the same time for the first time ever.

"Hmph!" Yosuke sat back down on the night table.

"But Yosuke-senpai's right about some things.", Kanji said to Souji. "Ain't now way you can just make up for everythin' by apologizin', Senpai. 'specially not if you don't mean it."

"I... Of course I mea-", Souji started, but went silent again when he saw the disbelief that was written all over Kanji's face.

_`Why should you even apologize to those unworthy brats, my dear? __**They**__ are the ones that should apologize and fall down to your feet, kissing them!´_, the voice screamed.

"Shut the hell up!", Souji snarled.

"... Huh?" Teddie looked at him questioningly.

Souji bit his lower lip before he opened his mouth again, trying to say something.

_`It's completely useless! What do you even hope accomplish! Just give up!´_, the voice shouted at him.

Souji shook his head as if trying to shoo the voice away like an especually obnoxious fly.

"I... I've never stayed long at one place...", he suddenly managed to get out.

"Huh? ADHD?", Chie asked in confusion.

"... No, not that.", Souji said and shook his head, gaze still turned to the ground. "... As you know, I've been in Inaba for a year because my parents had had to work overseas. ... Wel, it's actually always been like this." He sighed deeply. "We've practically moved to another area at least a year. Everything around me's changed again and again..."

"... And? What's that got to do with us?", Yosuke asked impatiently, one eyebrow raised.

_`Yes, what exactly does that have to do with them? Aren't you just trying to justify all the things you've done, my dear? That's quite pathetic~!´_, the voice snarled, spiteful.

"Just hear him out first, man!", Kou snarled at Yosuke and nodded at Souji to continue.

"I... Not only did my surroundings constantly change, but also the people.", Souji continued, hesitating slighty. "Whenever I'd found people around that I could start to maybe consider as `friends´, my parents had decided that it was time to move somewhere else. I've... never been able to form any friendships at all, much less understand the concept of friendship..." He let his gaze wander to the sight and peered at Yosuke while next to Yosuke Yukiko was staring in slight sympathy at the silver-haired Fool.

"And?", Yosuke simply said to that.

"Over time... I had found a perfect tactic that would ensure that things wouldn't be so painful anymore.", Souji continued with a slightly shaky voice. "I had created an emotional barrier between me and the people around me. I could interact with other people, talk to them - learn what they like or dislike and use that to my advantage -, but I never let them get _too_ close so that I wouldn't feel any more pain once we left again."

Naoto stared at him, analyzing him, while Patty raised an eyebrow in question.

"... But, I, too, had changed for the worse in time. I... had started to consider everyone around me to be inferior.", Souji continued. "Everyting around me was underneath me. I had started to act like my parents who had been the only constant thing in my whole life. Other people were just tools for me that I could use to my advantage if I wanted to do so."

Yosuke's hands clenched into fists.

"My first thoughts when I had arrived in Inaba and seen my uncle and my cousin? `Mount of flesh without brain! Probably a pedo, too, what with the way he talks about me as a baby in diapers!´ `If you dare sing that fucking Junes commercial even one more time, I'll slice off your throat, you little brat!´"

Naoto and Kanji stared at him in horror.

"My first thoughts when I had entered Yasogami High for the first time? `Wow, that Yosuke's such a complete loser!´"

Yosuke punched the night table, fist shaking in anger.

"`That Chie, is she really a girl or a guy? Does she ever think about anything else but steaks or is it that her brain's simply not capable to process anything else?´"

Chie's right eye started twitching violently.

"`Ugh! That Yukiko's acting like _such_ an emo! At least she's got some nice tits!´"

Yukiko whimpered a bit.

_`Good! Make them cry~!´_, the voice cheered him on.

"Honestly, everything in Inaba was just so disgusting and boring to me.", he continued and sighed. "I had already prepared myself to act like the nice, good Souji once again while secretly laughing at all those pathetic idiots around me. But..." He sighed again, suddenly smiling, as if remembering something especially nice.

_`"But"? There is no "but"! That's all! Now leave and laugh about their completely shocked faces!´_, the voice ordered him.

"The longer the case that had started shortly after I'd arrived went on, the more something inside me had started to change - I myself had started to change.", Souji said and finally looked up at the others. "Yosuke's Shadow was the first one to start those changes in me. `Huh, even an idiot like him has such deeper problems, huh?´, were my thoughts about his Shadow back then. The more I got drawn into the case, the more I started to see the people around me in another light.

When Kanji had been kidnapped back then, I had already come to somewhat realized and accepted those changes in me. I was still a bit disgusted by his Shadow's gay behaviour, but I had finally understood that there's always another part to people, not only the things you see on the surface." He looked from Yosuke to Kanji, before he stared at Rise. "When Rise had arrived in Inaba next, I wasn't acting like I first had when I had seen her on a screen on my way to Inaba, completely fixated on her body. I really wanted to save the person Rise and understand her. Though..."

_`That's enough! Stop lying! Stop it, I say! You're ruining everything!´_, the voice snarled.

"When I had finally started to understand what's really important and how disgusting I have acted all those years... it was already to late.", Souji said, sighing. "I had already formed dozens of Social Links. I couldn't just suddenly say `Hey, I may have just been using you for my Social Links until now, but I finally understand now that friendship is one of the most important things a person can exeperiance in their live.´ and expect you to understand. It was already too late for that in my eyes. I was scared you would turn away from me if I were to tell you the truth.

Yes, I admit that I'd continued working on those Social Links. But they were necessary after all, so that we had a chance to survive inside the TV world! Why shouldn't I be able to spend time with my friends _AND_ level up those Social Links at the same time to increase of chances for survival!"

"Souji-kun...", Yukiko whispered.

"Yes, there were some Social Links that I had initially only started because they were useful for my Personas! But I had already learned my lesson and knew that beneath every person is something good hidden! I view every Social Link I've ever formed as a precious friend in my life! Even that whacky Nikita!"

"... Who's Nikita?", Rise asked curiously.

Yosuke only coughed violently.

"You just have to believe me that think of _NONE_ of you as a simple means to strengthen my Personas! Yes, I have formed a Social Link with each of you, but there is no reason for me to apologize for that to you, just like Kanji already said! You all are my precious friends that I love to spend every second I can with! And if those Social Links level up at the same time, then that can only be seen as a bonus!"

He stared at the others beseechingly who stared right back at him.

"... So in other words, you mean ta tell us that you didn't tell us 'bout Social Links 'cuz you were 'fraid we wouldn't talk ta ya anymore if we found out?", Kanji finally asked.

"... Yes.", Souji answered and nodded slowly and sadly.

Kanji sighed deeply before he stood up and suddenly punched the silver-haired Fool to the side without any warning at all. "YOU IDIOT!", he shouted at Souji. "We're ya FRIENDS in ya eyes, right! You couldn't trust ya FRIENDS not ta get the wrong idea? Ya couldn't trust Naoto - NAOTO of all people who's usually all calm 'bout stuff - ta understand? Ya idiot jus' made everythin' worse by not tellin' us anythin'! 'COURSE there was no way for way for us not ta get the wrong idea that way! IDIOT!"

"I...", Souji said and slowly sat up again. Patty suddenly punched him in the face as well. "Ouch!"

"That's your punishment for being an idiot!", the red head said, wrinkling her nose and throwing back her beautiful hair before sitting back down again, glaring at him in slight annoyance.

"What-?", Souji started and stopped immediately when he felt the paleness slowly vanishing out of the Emperor Social Link and the Moon Social Link.

"Kou-kun already got to execute his punishment on you after all! Time for ours!", Rise giggled, jumped up and bitch-slapped Souji, followed by Yukiko who slapped his cheeks as well.

"G-guys...", Souji whimpered and groaned loudly when Chie suddenly kicked him in the shin.

"Stupid idiot!", Naoto growled behind him and shoved his head agains the night table.

"Y-you guys... Could you please be a little more... ge-gentl-", Souji started to groan, but did get any further because Teddie suddenly whacked his head.

"Yay! I always wanted to whack someone instead of being the one who gets whacked all the time!", the blond Shadow laughed and whacked Souji on the head a second time.

"Hey!", Souj growled as Teddie jumped back on the other bed.

"So, what do you guys say? All-Out Attack?", Rise suggested all of sudden.

Souji stared at her, huge-eyed and with slight fear, before he threw a hesitant glance at Yosuke who was now standing in front of him with a rather pained expression. Nearly all of friends' Social Links seemed to be back in place more or less now. Yosuke's link though...

"I... still don't really trust you.", the music-loving man slowly said. "It... just hurts too much when a person does something like that to you."

"Yosuke..."

Yosuke suddenly whacked him up the head as well. "... I suggest we start over from the beginning, okay?", he said and extended his hand toward Souji. "Yosuke Hanamura. Your name?"

Souji stared at him questioningly before grabbing the extended hand and shaking it firmly. "Souji Seta. Nice to meet you."

Yosuke nodded and tried to smile.

"Ooooh, that's _sooo_ cute! Yosugaaaay!", Chie laughed out loud.

"Shut it, Fatonaka!", Yosuke snapped at her and whirled around.

"HEY!", both Chie and Kou shouted in anger at the same time.

Souji couldn't help it; he suddenly had a laughing attack á la Yukiko.

_`You're a fool, Souji Seta! An utter idiot! And you will regret it one day!´_, the voice in his head growled in warning before it completely went silent.

Souji ignored it completely.

"We had already come to a decision long ago, you know.", Naoto suddenly said. Souji looked behind him at her, still not completely able to meet her gaze. "When we had sat down in the restaurant and had enough time to process all the information about Social Links, we had started discussing it again."

"Some of us...", Yukiko said and looked at Yosuke and Chue. "... wanted to completely ignore you and never talk to you again."

"Other members...", Patty said and looked at Rise and Teddie who were both in tears now. "... absolutely didn't know what they should do and we're just completely lost in their despair. And some others had voiced their doubts about whether everything we've experienced with you was just fake, Souji-kun."

"... In The end, we had agreed to ignore you and wait with our final decision until you'd decide to finally talk and tell us how you see things.", Kou explained.

"Really, it all depended solely on you how things would continue. It was you who would decide if we should start over and try being a team once again or if we should just put an end to it.", Naoto opined. She looked at Kanji, question evident in her eyes. He stared back at her for a moment before he sighed deeply and nodded, the young detective standing up from the bed immediately and sitting down next to Souji, staring him in the eyes. "Seta-sen- no, Souji Seta... I... would like to hear your answer regarding the things my Shadow said a few days ago, that I love you.", she stammered, trying her best to stay calm.

Souji looked at her for a while, trying his best to finally meet her eyes again. "Naoto...", he finally started speaking hesitantly before he gulped and started anew: "Naoto, I really, _really_ like you... But only as a friend. That `like´ will never be more than a really, really good friend. I'm so sorry..."

Naoto looked him in the eyes for a moment, expression unreadable, before she nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, Souji-senpai. I just needed that final answer from you.", she said, shyly leaned foward and quickly kissed him on the cheeck before sitting down on the bed again, next to Kanji.

"Thou art I... And I am thou..."

Souji eye's widened slightly when he suddenly heard that familiar voice - not the sneering, cold one - in his head, the Fortune Arcana appearing before his inner eyes.

"Thou hast revived an old bond from the depths of its deepest slumber..."

A gentle warmth started spreading through Souji's whole body.

"It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fortune Arcana..."

"Na-Naoto...", he slowly said, uncertain.

"I know.", Naoto said and nodded. "It's alright. That Social Links is back simply _because_ I want it to. This link is proof of our friendship. That's how I've come to see it. Please, _never_ forget it."

Souji nodded and smiled at her.

There were a few momets of silence, then...

"Soo...", Souji said and looked from Naoto to Kanji. "Are you two...? Uh, well..."

Naoto's face went beet-red as she looked to the side.

Kanji nodded, still feeling a little bit uncertain.

"Kyaaa! Cuuute!", Rise squealed loudly, efficiently ruining the mood, everyone rolling their eyes at her.

"There's still more...", Souji said after a while. "The reason I couldn't say anything during that first night you had confronted me about Social Links is-"

"Because you were too scared to lose us, Sensei.", Teddie said, nodding.

"No.", Souji said, face completely serious now. "Everything had turned into a big desaster that night. If I had done anything that night, I should have protested as much as possible! You were all thinking the wrong thing already anyway!" He shook his head. "It's that voice inside my head..."

"... A voice inside your head?", Chie repeated, slightly puzzled.

"It's... abysmally spiteful and voices exactly those thoughts my former self would have thought. They are things my current self wouldn't think anymore. It's... completely wearing me down.", Souji explained. "That night the voice had talked to me as well. It had told me that I shouldn't try to defend myself since you're not worth it. That you would never believe me anymore. That you're absolutely unworthy of me. That something like friendship doesn't exist in this world. That I would be better off without you. ... I just couldn't bring myself to say anything at all to you because of that..."

"Your Shadow?", Naoto asked him.

"... Huh?"

"Yeah. That voice could really actually be your Shadow that's trying to wear you down.", Kou agreed.

"I've always had that on my mind... I mean, you're the only one of us who has never had to face his Shadow and still got his Persona.", Naoto explained, her gaze wandering to Teddie now. "But... maybe you've already met your Shadow, and just never realized it."

Teddie stared at in confusion before his eyes suddenly widened. "I'm Sensei's Shadow?", he asked, excitement and happiness welling up in him immediately at the possibility.

"No. Igor said it's impssible for a Fool to meet their Shadow since they're protected by Philemon's presence.", Souji said and startled the next moment. "Oh, err... Igor is-"

"That strange man who lives inside the Velvet Room, right?", Rise said.

"How...?"

"Yamagishi-sensei's already told us about that guy.", Kanji explained. "She was with us at the restaurant, too. Was her who defended you the whole tim n' said we should wait for a while 'til you talked ta us."

"But she didn't knew anything about you not wanting me with you in the TV world.", Souji remembered and looked at Fuuka who was lying asleep in the other bed. He had already forgotten that she was actually present as well.

"We'd decided that later without her, after leaving the restaurant.", Yosuke replied.

"Oh..."

"But if it's not your Shadow, what else could it be?", Patty asked into the room.

"... The Messiah, perhaps?", Naoto said. "After all, it was also the Messiah who had told you about Social Links as he was posing as my Shadow, trying to drive us apart. Wouldn't it just be perfect if he could stop you from talking to us with his hateful speeches to you? Remember, he had been able to perfectly copy what my Shadow would have said. Why shouldn't he be able to copy what your Shadow would say, Souji-senpai?"

Souji stared at her. "That... could really be it.", he agreed, slightly lost in thought.

"Frickin' Messiah! Hope he kicks the bucket already behind that gate!", Kanji snarled.

"I wonder if we'll get to see him again tomorrow if we enter the TV world...", Rise mumbled in worry. "He could target anyone of us as long as he finds emotional ammunition."

"That can't be helped.", Naoto sighed. "According to the weather forcast there could be some fog during the next few days. We can't wait any longer."

"So we're going to save Ikas tomorrow, huh?", Souji said. "I just hope she'll finally be able to give us new insight into the case. I just want to get this all over with as soon as possible."

"I think it will still take long enough until this is all over. Remember, there's still that damn aura around here.", Chie reminded him and yawned as if to prove her point.

"Let's just wait until tomor-", Naoto started speaking while taking a glance at her alarm clock "... until TONIGHT, then we can go from there." She yawned as well. "Okay, I think that's enough for now. Off to bed with you all!"

"Yeah, yeah, alright already, mommy!", Rise giggled and jumped from the bed on which Fuuka was sleeping.

"... She really sleeps through everything.", Patty noted in amusement, leaving the lounge first.

"She's also drooled on Akihiko's neck last time when he was carryin' her towards the limo.", Kanji remembered.

"Let's just hope Mitsuru-san doesn't smell that slobber and thinks he's having an affair with another woman!", Kou joked.

"*Snrk*...", was Yukiko's only answer to that as she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.

"Ugh! No, you're going to wait until we're in our lounge with that laugh attack of yours! Get a move on!", Chie growled and shoved her outside.

Souji smiled as he followed the others outside.

_`It... feels good... to finally have everything out in the open...´_, he said.

_`You fool!´_, the voice in his head suddenly spoke again.

Souji's eyes widened shortly before he just continued walking through the corridors, ignoring it completely.

_`Huh, ignoring me, are you...? We'll see how that'll work out for you in the end, my dear~. I'll absolutely going to make you pay for that one day...´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Yay! My last two author's notes had not been saved by Fanfiction [dot] net and I absolutely can't remember anything I wrote in those anymore so I'll just leave it at that. Sorry for that!**

**mysterious P4 player: Nope, there is no World Arcana Social Link in P3 or P4. I'm only going to use the ones that are in the games. Otherwise I would have like 40 Social Links or so at once. ^^; Also, Patty's Persona is Izanami, yes. Personas are shaped after gods and demons so I thought "What the heck? Why not give someone Izanami as a Persona!"**

**Thank you for all the reviews so far, guys!**


	95. Chapter 93: World's return

_**Chapter 93: "World´s" return**_

**Author's notes: Battle alert! Here's the link:**

www [dot] youtube [dot] com /watch?v=UR6pHaeRV3w

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The swamp where the members of the Investigation Team that could still summon their Personas stood in front of in Ikas Ito's dungeon `Eternal Abyss´ seemed to be pretty deep and smelled especially yucky.

If they dove through it, they would soon reach Ikas and finally get some much needed answers out of her finally...

"So, time for a beauty bath or what? I don't have all day, kids!", Adachi said and shook everyone out of their thoughts.

"Then jump in already if you really want to smell all nicely!", Yosuke snapped at him. "You don't have anything to do but sit in your cell all day anyway!"

"Tch!", Adachi grumbled and stared to the side, his hand once again touching his neck where Namatame had hit him with his knife.

Kou sighed next to them. "Okay, okay, just grin and bear it, I guess!", he said, Teddie nodding enthusiastically at the word `bear´, and prepared himself to jump in first.

"Um, Senpai.", Rise suddenly said to Souji the next moment, efficiently stopping Kou in his overly dramatic preperation with which he was trying to impress Chie.

"H-hmm?", Souji hummed, still not feeling quite comfortable with being their leader and friend once again.

"Do you... notice someting?", the teenie idol asked him.

"Hmm?", Souji hummed again and looked at her, a bit puzzled.

"She's asking if your feeling something.", Chie explained.

"... Hmm?" Souji would have gladly whacked himself up the head here and then. His whole vocabularly seemed to be limited to that one sound today. He just didn't want to say anything wrong... "Feel something?", he repeated. "Well, I'm not a sensory type, like Rise... Err..." He concentrated a bit, just to humour them. "Um, well I feel more awake now, without the aura... and, well... hmm..."

"A bit lighter than before maybe?", Fuuka asked him.

"Y... Yeah, like... somehow... I dunno... It's like a big and heavy burden's suddenly off my chest and... But, what does that mean?", the silver-haired Fool asked.

"We think you're not the only one's who's been worn down here.", Kanji answered.

"It's the seems the aura's effect doesn't only make us sleepy.", Yosuke opined.

"It was when we'd left the university and had arrived at the restaurant that the first doubts had formed in our minds whether or not it was right to be so beary angry with you, Sensei.", Teddie explained. "It was as if all those negative thoughts had suddenly been blown away at once."

"So you mean that this aura is also causing negative emotions and such?", Souji asked.

The others nodded.

"But that doesn't mean that we've only acted that way due to that damn aura.", Yosuke added. "No, we really _were_ angry with you. This aura just multiplied that anger thousandfold. We can't just excuse everything we've said with the aura's effects."

Souji nodded. "I understand..."

"Ooooh, isn't that just lovely! So much love and friendship! ... Could we finally get going!", Adachi snarled from the side.

Yosuke threw a deathglare full of hatred at him. "We've also got something to disguss with you!", he snapped at the former detective. "How do _you_ know about Social Links?"

Adachi stared at him for a moment before a very annoying smile formed on his lips. "Well, I had been invited to the Velvet Room as well, you know.", he told them. "Met that old lunatic with the long nose there, living with that cool hottie. Wonder what he's doing to her in the room when nobody's there."

"Shut up!", Souji snapped at him at once.

"Oh, sorry, sorry! Didn't know you would react like that when someone's insulting those two lunatics!", Adachi laughed. "Anyway, after my little hand shake with Izanami, I had awakened in the Velvet Room. That old fart had told me all that bullshit about Personas and Social Links, and that I would have to sign a contract to use my full powers."

"You're lying!", Souji shouted at him. "Igor and Margaret would never accept someone like you!"

"Oooh, but they absolutely did, Seta!", Adachi chuckled, absolutely thrilled to be able to rile up Souji like that. "But I didn't agree to sign that contract. I didn't want to be part of such crap."

"`One of them willfully closed his eyes while the other one was too blind to follow the call´...", Rise mumbled.

"H-huh?" Chie looked at her questioningly.

"That's what Izanami said during our exploration through her dungeon years ago.", Rise explained. "Adachi is the one who willfully closed his eyes. He didn't agree to sign the contract."

"... And Namatame is the one who was too blind to follow the call!", Yosuke guessed.

"So that means...", Souji slowly said.

"Either Namatame or me could have also ended up the leader of this ridiculous rescue team.", Adachi said nodding, his grin broadening. "Who knows what would have happened if I had taken that job... Maybe Seta would have been the one to throw people into the TV world? Hah! That would've been a sight to behold!"

"I'd never-", Souji started to yell, but stopped and looked to the ground. His former character and attitude really hadn't been the best...

_`Would have been quite funny, would'n it? Playing a game of tag with the Investigation Team, my dear?´_, the voice in his head opined in amusement.

Souji shook his head vehemently.

"n' those Social Links?", Kanji continued to ask.

"Well, since I hadn't accept that contract, the Social Links didn't do me any good. Buuut...", Adachi said and laughed. "... it was just awesome to deceive other people and level up their Social Links!" He looked at Souji. "You and I are quite similar in that regard, Seta. We both can be the exact person someone else needs at the moment. Let's just take Dojima as an example: He needed someone to yell at all the time, to take out his frustration on, and he got me as the perfect catalyst for that. Hah! It was just so damn funny to play around with all those idiots! Made up for all the boredom I had to endure while waiting for your game of tag with good old Namatame to continue!"

"Grrr!", Chie grumbled in anger while Souji looked to the side in disgust since the Aeon Social Link had leveled up the moment Adachi had told him that he and Souji were similar in some ways.

The silver-haired Fool suddenly jumped into the swamp, wanting leave Adachi's laughs that sounded like mockery to him behind.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Naoto, Patty, Yukiko, SEES and a doctor of the Kirijo Group had gathered in Ikas' lounge in the meantime, all of them gathered around the still motionless Ikas who was currently examined by the doctor.

"... And?", Naoto finally asked the doctor who had taken a close look on all those deep gashes on Ikas' arms and legs that just didn't want to heal at all.

"Well, I can say for sure that those definitely aren't normal wounds. But I absolutely can't tell what caused them.", the doctor slowly answered, still inspecting the wounds.

"And what exactly does that mean now?", Junpei asked and looked from the doctor to Naoto who was staring at the ground in thought.

"Her DNA is also the same...", the young detective mumbed instead of answering him. "And the autopsy reports are also show that... But... how could she have managed to kill it instead of getting killed...? Souji-senpai, Yosuke-senpai and Teddie didn't find here there... And how did she get out in the first place...? Hmm..."

"Okaaaay..." Junpei scratched his goat-beard. "Thanks for the information, I guess..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Pfffft!", Yosuke chocked as he spat out all the mud that had managed to find its way into his mouth during their underwater exploration through the swamp.

Souji looked around the place they had reached after diving down into the underwater cave: Even more narrow paths that led around more disgusting smelling swamps, bathed in darkness.

"This whole dungeon looks exactly like that.", Kou who had been following Souji's gaze said. "Pretty monotonous and and bleak looking."

"`Pretty monotonous and bleak´! What a fitting description for that Konishi brat!", Adachi chuckled in amusement, ignoring Yosuke's glare as he led the group through the swamp until he came to a halt in front of a huge building that was painted blood-red. "She's inside here.", Adachi said.

Souji threw a glance at the others who suddenly all looked quite tense, especially Yosuke. "Read?", he asked them, a nod from everyone his only answer. "Here we go!"

He quickly burst through the huge door inside the building just to immediately stop at the entrance. If he had thought that the swamp's stench was terrible, then the smell inside this building was absolute hell: It smelled like rotten eggs, insipid urine, dung, mildew, cheese that had been stored too long, rotten fish - simply everything that smelled absolutely revolting to humans.

"Ugh!", Rise groaned and covered her mouths and nose with her hands in disgust.

"Saki-senpai!", Yosuke suddenly shouted, having gone the farthes into the room, and stared at Ikas who seemed to be floating unconsciously in the air, supported by a gigantic mass of sludge.

"What is...?", Chie stammered as she stared at Ikas and all that mud.

"SAKI-SENPAI!", Yosuke yelled again and jumped backwards in shock the next moment when the muddy something that was supporting Ikas suddenly turned around, two yellow eyes appearing in the mass.

"Is that... her Shadow?", Kou asked, puzzled, as he stared at the slimy substance.

Rise summoned her Persona and concentrated on that strange being in front of them. "Ugh! What... is that?", she gasped. "That's a Shadow, yes, but... It feels so... ugh..."

"... meeeeee?", the being who was entirely made up of mud suddenly wheezed.

"Whoa! That thing can talk!", Kanji shouted in surprise.

"But... why isn't it in its human form? It wasn't foggy when we had entered the TV world!", Fuuka remembered.

"Ma... taaaa... yuuuu... meeeee... maaaaa...", the being grunted, Ikas' body slowly sinking to the ground.

"I-I don't know...", Rise stammered. "But it's definitely a Shadow! It just feels like... like..."

"Like what exactly?", Yosuke snapped at her.

"Like it's dead...", Adachi ended Rise's sentence. "Absolutely lifeless..."

_- Those wounds are from the day my twin sister died... -_

These words that Ikas had spoken to him during the informatics seminar suddenly resounded in Souji's head. (Author's note: Chapter 54!)

_- I... had a twin sister. She´d never really cared about me and always ignored me, treated me like I never existed. I can´t really remember how she died anymore. The doctors said I must have hit my head that day and gotten some kind of amnesia. I can only remember that we´d entered this strange room. So much buzzing around us, so cold inside... and you could almost get drunk from the atmosphere... I... remember how she´d screamed before she... well.. -_

_`Drunk from the atmosphere... Did she mean the liquor shop?´_, the Fool thought. _`And the Shadow feels dead... A dead twin sister...´_ He stared at the ugly being in front of them that was still making those noises that made absolutely no sense to seemed as though they were pretty close to getting at least some of their questions answered.

"... ma... ta... me..."

Ikas' unconscious body was raised to the ceiling the next moment where a cage made of sludge imprisoned her.

"What now?", Chie asked in confusion while the others went into battle position as Shadow Ikas's body became taller and taller.

"... tame... Shadow... true self... Kill...", the Shadow being mumbled when suddenly a part of its sludgy body shot forward.

"Whoa!", Chie managed to scream before she jumped to the side, the Shadow's part crushing the place where she had stood just seconds before.

"... Na... meeeeee...", Shadow Ikas wheezed and slowly turned around.

"Don't just stand there! Take it out already!", Adachi growled at Investigation Team who immediately launched several attacks at the groteque Shadow.

"... ta..." The Shadow simply absorbed all attacks and send them back to the sender.

"What the...?", Kanji shouted and startled when he suddenly heard a loud scream.

"Chie!", Kou shouted in horror and stared at Chie who had been attack by the Shadow again. The slimy body of the creature completely wound around the brunette's body until it had completely swallowed her. "Stop it!" Kou shot forward together with Souji to pull Chie out of the sludge, but both men jumped backwards when Chie's Persona Tomoe suddenly appeared out of nowhere and threw Bufula attacks at them.

"What?", Souji shouted in surprise, dodging the attacks just in time while Kou and stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Void Ice!", Fuuka screamed and made her Persona Brynhildr surround Kou by a shield of ice that absorbed the attacks.

"Be careful! It's gonna use the attacks of the people it manages to swallow against us!", Rise warned them. "It's also resistent against most attacks, but it's weak against things of light - Agi and Hama! It's Arcana is Death!"

"Great! Naoto n' Yukiko-senpai ain't here at the moment!", Kanji growled and dodged one of Tomoes' attack. Several tantacle-like arms shot out of the Shadow's slimy body that tried to grab the Investigation Team's members and absorb them.

"Fuck! Eat this! Let Chie-san go!", Kou yelled and tried a physical attacks once again that he had powered up with Matarukaja before. The attack was absorbed and thrown back at Kou who went down in an instant.

Teddie immediately hurried over to him to heal him with Mediarama.

"... ta... Ma... yu... meeeeee... mi..."

"Shut ya trap! I dun get what ya sayin' anyway!", Kanji growled while dodging the tentacles, Fuuka doing her best to protect everyone from the Bufula attacks with her shields.

But no matter how often they attacked the Shadow, their attacks were just thrown right back at them.

"Anybody got an idea?", Kou shouted through the room.

"Nope! But I'm not leaving without Saki-senpai!", Yosuke who was currently trying to get near the cage while dodging the tentacles answered.

"... Naaaa... mi..."

One of the tentacles managed to grab the music-loving man, wrestled him to the ground and pulled him towards the Shadow's body.

"Fuck, no!", Yosuke screached and tried to hold onto something.

"Shit!", Kanji growled and ran towards him together with Kou and Teddie while Souji and Fuuka tried to keep the tentacles and the ice attacks away from them.

"Ugh! What am I supposed to-?", Fuuka stammered, desperately trying to think of a way to actively help them. She couldn't attack at all. Her only strength was to heal the party or create protective shields that she infused with the same element that the enemy was currently using. "So what can I...?" Her eyes widened the next moment. _`What if I infuse something else with an element?´_, she thought while immediately aiming at Yosuke's daggers. "Infuse Agi!"

The daggers burned bright red immediately.

"What the...?", Yosuke gasped in surprise, only centimetres away from the Shadow's body.

"Strike it with that, Yosuke-kun! Now!", Fuuka shouted at him in panic.

Yosuke stared at his daggers for a short moment before he violently lashed out with them at the tentacles that had grabbed his legs.

Shadow-Ikas screeched in pain, the weapon that had been infused with the fire element doing serious damage to it, and let him go immediately.

"Infuse Agi!", Fuuka shouted again, her Persona infusing everyone's weapons with the fire attribute.

The following attacks through the Shadow backwards more and more, and Chie's face - eyes closed, as if she had fainted - appeared underneath the huge mass of sludge.

"Okay! Just a little more!", Souji yelled and prepared another attack against the cornered Shadow.

"... tame... Naaaaa... yu..."

The Shadow's tentacles suddenly shot forward, grabbing a hold of the walls, Chie's body in the supporting its weight.

"What now?", Kanji shouted in confusion and dodged another attack by Tomoe.

"... Na... meeeeeee..." The ground started shaking a bit. "Tera... dyne..."

"What-the-fuck-dyne?", Kou said, puzzled, when the ground beneath their feet suddenly broke apart and giant speers made of rock shot into the air, each of them being hurled at the friends seconds later.

"Look out!", Souji shouted and jumped backwards together with the others while Fuuka gasped in horror and hid underneath her huge shield.

"What's that?", Yosuke yelled, completely dumb-founded.

"I-I don't know! It's a new element!", Rise shouted in panic, the ground still shaking violently.

"Ugh! Stop it and let her go!", Kou cursed, jumped through all those rocks that were now crashing down everywhere and tried to hit one of the tentacle's with his basketball of fire. The tentacle merely split apart before being hit and connected itself to the main body seconds later. "What? ... That piece of shit just splits itself to dodge!"

"Tera... dyne..."

More parts of the floor shot into the air and were thrown at the friends. At the same time part of the Shadow disappeared into the ground.

"Wh-where did it go?", Souji shouted and looked around the room in confusion.

"Senpai! WATCH OUT!", Rise shouted in absolute horror when Ikas' Shadow suddenly appeared behind Souji without any warning, aiming a Mamudoon attack directly at Souji's heart, ready to fire. "SENPAAAAAAAAAIIIIIII!"

Complete darkness surrounded Souji seconds later as he was hit by the attack's complete impact, the ground seeming to open up beneath his feet due to the explosion, an agony of unimaginable dimensions...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"... up! Wake up already!"

Groaning, his head feeling like it had been torn asunder, the silver-haired Fool slowly opened his eyes. His whole body was shaking, as if it was being hit by little bursts of electricity over and over again, and any movement he tried to make in order to stand up cost him quite an effort.

"Where...?", he mumbled, voice hoarse, as he looked around the place he had woken up. White, thick fog - so completely different than the TV world's fog - surrounded him. He thought he might be seing something huge and golden in the distance.

Had he died during Shadow Ikas' attack? His body certainly felt like it...

"... I guess you'll survive.", the voice that had woken him up said, and he slowly looked up to a person who was wearing a black cloak, standing sublimely behind him.

"Who...? Where...?", he groaned, still completely puzzled.

"You're still unconscious in the real world.", the cloaked person explained. "I have summoned you within your dreams, Souji Seta."

"In my dreams...?", Souji repeated and finally managed to slowly stand up. "That sounds just like-"

"Like the phrase my Master always uses when he summons you into the Velvet Room late at night, doesn't it?", the figure replied.

"... Master?"

"Yes. My former Master... Igor.", the cloaked figure confirmed, grabbed the hood and lifted it from their head. Silver-blond hair cascaded down the body.

"Margaret!", Souji shouted in surprise, only to sink to the ground in pain once again.

"What do you think you're doing!", Margaret snapped at him. "You're not allowed to fall here! Understand?"

"That's... easier said than done...", the Fool groaned and grabbed his hurting rips, only to squeak in pain when Margaret suddenly grabbed him ungently and pulled him back to his feet.

"I said, stand up!", she said to him, a loud crash being heard in the distance.

"What was that?"

"The battle against the Shadow is still going on in the real world, even while you're asleep.", Margaret explained.

Souji looked to the side. "I don't think I'd be that much help.", he said. "Ikas' Shadow... it just went completely berserk all of a sudden. I don't think we're a match for it."

Several gasps of pain could be heard that make Souji cringe.

"So you're just going to run away? You want to abandon you're friends?", Margaret asked him, gaze analyzing. "You really want to be a liar to them who was just acting all friendly to get his Social Links back?"

"I didn't say that!", Souji yelled at her. "I just mean that I can't do anything withou-"

Margaret hit his face with her fist and sent him back to the ground.

"Ouch, damnit! That hurt pretty bad, my dear!", Souji snapped at her in anger.

"What has gotten into you, Souji! You're not the person I met several years ago!", Margaret yelled right back at him.

"... I...", Souji started to mumble and stared to the side. "That's... I'd like to know, too... my dea-" He stopped in confusion. Had he spent to much time with Bagman or why was he starting to use those ridiculous words at the end of the sentence?

Margaret was still glaring at him analytically before she looked around in the thick fog around them.

"I see...", she only said as she threw the hood back over her head, as if she had seen something so disgusting that she just had to hide her face. "Souji, you're in serious dan-", she tried to explain, but stopped when she saw how the fog around them suddenly started to take on a different form. "Stand up.", she finally said, and the fog immediately went back to its old form now that she had dropped the topic she had just wanted to address.

Souji managed to stand up once again, his body shaking from side to side.

"You're not worthless at all without the Wild Card, absolutely not.", the former Velvet Room's resident told him. "Did you forget already? You're power is that of the Social Links - your emotional ties to your friends! Calling weak and worthless is like insulting your friends." Souji looked to the ground. "You're friends are what gives you power. You're their `World´, just as you are mine." She rumaged around in her cloak and took out an old, slightly dusty book.

"That's... my Compendium!", Souji shouted in surprise and took the Compendium that Margaret gave him.

"Correct. It was my duty to look after this book, after all, so I took it with me once I left the Velvet Room.", Margaret explained. "I think it's high time you get back your true power, Souji Seta."

"But without Philemon's power-", Souji started to protest, but stopped with a loud gasp as Margaret grabbed his hand, an electric surge seeming to shoot from her right into his body.

"`The heart is sometimes shaken more by a single action than by a thousand words´.", Margaret cited her old device and let go of Souji's arm again. "I will give you some of the new powers I found, Souji Seta." She took some steps backwards. "And now, go back into the world of the living. Your friends are already waiting desperately for their `World´ to return."

Souji stared at his arm that Margaret had apparently sent some of her new powers into. He didn't know why but summoning multiple Personas suddenly seemed like the easiest thing in the world to do. "Margaret... Thank you!"

"Hmph...", Margaret only hummed, turned around and took several steps away from him before she stopped again, head slightly lowered. "Souji... There will be a time that you will hate me so much that you desperately want to kill me...", she suddenly said.

"Wh-what...?"

"But never forget: You are my `World´ as well. I will protect you forever, just like she will always do for him.", she continued to speak before she suddenly vanished in all the fog.

"Margaret, wait! What do you mean-", Souji shouted after her, but whirled around when he heard a scream of pain in the distance. "Teddie! Shit! Just you wait, I'll be right with you in a second, guys!" He closed his eyes, hands firmly holding the Compendium...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Margaret reached place where the yellow fog was so thick that one could barely see the hand in front of their eyes.

"You're finally back! Took you long enough!", Mrs. Hanamura who was standing in front of the giant golden gate together with Elizabeth said impatiently. "And? How did it go?"

"Mission accomplished.", Margaret merely said. "Seta should be able to defeat the Shadow with the part of the gate's power that I gave him."

"Good. More energy for us.", Mrs. Hanamura opined, pleased, and turned back to the gate from which quiet knocking could be head. "Minato..."

"I've also set a trap for the Fool by telling him that I would always protect him.", Margaret added. "He has complete and absolute faith in me now."

"Very good.", Mrs. Hanamura said and shortly looked at Margaret. "Could you please wear something else already! That cloak's just disgusting! Why do you have to wear that thing in the first place!"

"It's my decision what I wear, not yours, Hanamura.", Margaret replied. "You don't see me complaining about that pink nightmare you call clothes."

"Hmph!" Mrs. Hanamura wrinkled her nose and stepped closer to the door to speak soothing words to the one that was knocking behind the gate.

_`Knock as long as you want...´_, Margaret thought as she glared at the door. _`Once this door opens, I will do anything in my power to protect my `World´!´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"S-Senpai! Finally!", Rise shouted in relief when Souji slowly opened his eyes again.

Yosuke crashed right into the wall next to them.

"Oh god! Yosuke-senpai!", Rise shouted and yelled in horror when several Mudoon attacks where fired at them. She jumped to the side while Souji rolled around the ground, dodging, and grabbed his sword that he had dropped when the Shadow's powerful attack had hit him. He jumped up, his back hurting like hell, one hand grabbing the sword, the other one holding the Compendium.

"... tame...", Ikas' Shadow mumbled unintelligently and focused its attention back on Fuuka and Kou who were preparing to launch a new attack.

"Infuse Hama!", Fuuka shouted, Kou's basketball immediately being infused with the light element. "Please be careful not to hit Chie-chan with that, Kou-kun!"

"Eat this, piece of shit!", Kou yelled, dodged several of the Shadow's tentacles and threw the ball at the Shadow. The creature just split apart so that the basketball shot right through it. "FUCK! FUCK! DAMNIT!"

"Yu... me... Na...", the Shadow grunted and punched Kou to the side, Teddie hurrying over to him to heal him.

The Shadow suddenly looked up in confusion when he heard the sound of a trumpet being blown, and when it saw Souji who had just now summoned the Persona Trumpeter, it was already too late: The Persona had already launged a Debilitate attack at the Shadow that groaned loudly as it was hit. "... tame... maNa... mi..."

"It's not over yet!", Souji shouted, dodged a Mudoon attack and skimmed through the Compendium's pages until he had found what he had been looking for. "PERSONA!", he shouted, ripped the Trumpeter card out of his body, pulled the newly chosen card out of the Compendium and crushed it with his hand. Huge, blue flames surrounded the silver-haired Fool who was now screaming at the top of his lungs: "IZANAGI-NO-OKAMI!"

The giant Persona - Izanagi in God Mode - appeared above Souji with a loud roar, its long and powerful weapon extended, and let its anger rain over Ikas' Shadow when the Fool gave the sign.

"... ta...! ... tame! ... ma... tame!", the Shadow squealed in pain when the full and awesome power of the God Persona crashed right into it. The ground was torn apart and the Shadow was being squashed more and more. The whole room was bathed in bright white light more and more until it finally exploded and fully destroyed the Shadow. "... me...", the Shadow mumbled as it let go of the still unconscious Chie who had been spared from Izanagi-no-Okami's attack by Souji's will alone.

"Is it... over?", Rise asked carefully as she stared at the muddy something on the ground that was Shadow Ikas.

"... tame... ma... tame...", the Shadow whimpered a last time before it fell apart with a loud screech.

Souji - having reached the extent of his powers -, Chie - unconscious and without anything to support her and keeping her from falling to the ground - and Ikas - freed from her cage at the ceiling - all simultaniously crashed to the ground.

"Chie-san!"

"SENPAI!"

"Saki-senpai!"

Kou stormed over to Chie while Yosuke jumped forward and catched Ikas during her fall, and Rise worriedly leaned over Souji who fainted again, the stress of having summoned such high level Personas after being forced to use a comaredly weak Persona all the time too much for his body.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Well, I hope that was surprising enough, especially since some of you were asking about Izanagi-no-Okami's appearance.**

**seiryux: Thanks. There were also some other scenes where it was indicated that this would happen (e.g. when Kou and Kanji were talking in the lounge). Also, go right ahead with the reference. I don't mind.**

**Sapphire09: Yosuke actually really was jealous of Kou at that point when he remarked how Kou was `crawling up Souji's ass´. He was like `Fuck off! He was MY best friend!´**

**Thanks for all the reviews, guys!**


	96. Chapter 94: Activated circle

_**Chapter 94: Activated circle**_

Battle alert again! Theme:

www[dot]youtube[dot]com / watch?v=9ZtUKEdBnEw

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The silence that had become rather oppressive in Ikas' lounge after the doctor had finished his examination suddenly lifted at once when Ikas slowly opened her eyes and looked around in confusion.

"Wh-where...?", the shy student mumbled and groped around for her glasses.

"... Here.", Naoto said and gave her the glasses from the night table.

"N-Naoto-s-s-san...", Ikas stammered and looked around in question at the other people that were staring back at her, their gazed all serious. "Wh-what...?"

"... How do you feel, Ikas-san?", Naoto asked her careful.

"E-err... I-I... W-well, I- AAAAAGH!"

A horrified outcry went through the lounge when suddenly dozens of pitch-black tentacle-like things shot out of Ikas' clothes, grabbing Ikas and lifting her into the air.

"Wha-what the hell...?", Junpei shouted, dumb-founded, and jumped up just like the other members of SEES, Neo Evokers ready.

"Is that... a Shadow?", Mitsuru shouted in disbelief.

"... ta... meeeeee...", something mumbled from the centre of the black being that grew taller and taller until it had nearly filled out the whole room.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!", Kanji who was currently hectically dodging hundred of rocks that were thrown through the huge room yelled.

Shortly after Souji had fainted due to the stress from summoning Izanagi-no-Okami and the friends had already thought that the battle against the Shadow was other, Ikas' Shadow had suddenly started rebuilding itself even though Ikas' soul had already returned to the human world.

The ceiling that part of the sludgy Shadow was pounding against without abandon was starting to collapse.

"We have to get out of here!", Rise shouted, already having created a portal that would get them out of the dungeon.

"But... the Shadow...!", Kou started to protest, being protected by Yosuke since he was currently carrying the unconscious Chie in his arms and couldn't protect himself.

"I-chan's soul has already escaped! We've accomplosed what we came for! Let's get outta here!", Teddie shouted while helping Rise to carry Souji to the portal.

Kou nodded and started carrying Chie together with Kanji's help towards the portal as well while Yosuke and Fuuka did their best to protect them from the rocks and the Shadow's tentacles.

Adachi had long since vanished into the ground, back to prison in the real world.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Several students of Tanaba University were rudely awakened through all the ruckus that was going on at the university.

That ruckus was caused by SEES that had lured the Shadow out of Ikas' lounge and into the PC were they were now fiercely battling against the creature.

"CAESAR!", Akihiko yelled, his and Ken's Persona destroying the ground in front of the Shadow that was entrapped in a circle of fire that Junpei and Koromaru had created with Agidyne spells, effectively creating a wall of dust that made it impossible for the Shadow to see anything.

"Artemisia!" Mitsuru's Persona immediately fired several Bufudyne spells at the centre of the sludgy being inside which the quietly whimpering Ikas was now trapped.

There were a few seconds of silence inside the PC during which SEES waited to see if Mituru's attacks had done enough damage, then the friends shouted in surprise when the icy attacks were suddenly hurled back at them.

Nearly all of them could dodge the attacks, but Koromaru who wasn't the youngest anymore didn't have that much luck and was hit by one of the attacks, effectively getting frozen solid against the wall.

"Koro-chan!", Yukiko who had followed SEES through the university shouted, and hurried over to the dog to defrost him while SEES returned their attention to the enemy that didn't dare cross the circle of fire.

"It's scared of the fire! Iori, try attacking it directly!", Mitsuru shouted at the janitor who immediately launched a salvo of Agidyne spells at Shadow Ikas.

The Shadow screeched in pain and hurriedly cut off the part of itself that was burning brightly before it vanished into the ground, taking a loudly screaming Ikas with it.

"Did it go back into the TV world?", Akihiko shouted worriedly, but jumped to the side in shock the next moment when Shadow Ikas suddenly reappeard next to him, trying to snatch him with its tentacles which he barely managed to dodge.

"Agidyne!"

Another loud scream of pain echoed through the hall when Junpei's fire attack hit its target.

Unnoticed by SEES and Yukiko, the part the Shadow had cut off from itself had vanished into the ground as well, and was now leaving the PC, hurrying over to Mr. Bagman's office where it was sensing something _very_ interesting.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Oh man! I'm dead tired! Time to saw some logs!", Kanji sighed when he and the rest of the group appeared in Naoto's lounge.

"No, it's not! First we have to see how Saki-senpai's doing an-", Yosuke started reprimanding him, but stopped when he saw Naoto's worried gaze, the young detective having already waited for them.

"... What's wrong?", Souji asked, he and Chie having regained consciousness in the meantime.

"Shadow! In The PC!", Naoto only shouted before storming into the hallway.

"Wh-what?", Kanji shouted in disbelief and barely managed to catch Fuuka who had already fallen asleep again due to the aura, running after Naoto together with the others after he had quickly deposited her on the bed.

They nearly crashed into Patty in the hallway who was coming from another part of the university, completely out of breath.

"Where's Sideu-kun?", Naoto shouted at her while running.

"Hiro's not in his lounge! I don't know where he could be!", Patty answered, trying to catch her breath.

"Ugh! The one time we really need him, and he's not here!", Naoto groaned while continuing to storm through the corridors, reaching a set of stairs and practically flying them down.

"And that's not all! The other students are slowly waking up due to all the noise! They'll reach the PC sooner or later!", Patty warned.

"Shit!", Kanji cursed.

"Akihiko has to stop them! They should listen to one of their director's an-", Souji started speaking, but stopped when the ground suddenly started shaking violently. "What the...?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The part of the Shadow that had escaped the PC had now reached Mr. Bagman's office and had, after carefully looking around for the strange something it had sensed, finally found what it had been looking for. It transformed into something like a huge fist that swiftly punched the floor hard once. The office suddenly started glowing like crazy, a huge circle with a fife-rugged star in it slowly starting to spread through the room. The ground started shaking more and more.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Mr. Bagman who was currently sitting in his working room at home, leaning over the diary and trying to unlock as much of it as possible, suddenly groaned in pain and grabbed at his chest.

"What...?", he gasped and cried out miserably when somethong silvery-white shot out of his body with a loud screech. "That's...!" He fell down from his chair and crashed to the ground were he was now writhing in pain. "The circle...! Who did...? That Yamagishi brat...? Did she... find it?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Yuuta and the real Mr. Bagman were taking a break at the moment at the seemingly endless graveyard, too tired to go on, too tired to continue realizing the plan that Yuuta had thought of.

"... I wonder how long I've been here?", Yuuta mumbled sleepily and stared up at the always far too foggy sky.

"Who knows... Time flows differently here than in the real world.", Mr. Bagman replied, also fairly tired.

"Hmm...", Yuuta only hummed and groaned the next moment in pain the gravestone he had been leaning at suddenly disappeared and he crashed head-first to the ground.

"... Yuuta-kun?", Mr. Bagman asked, confused, and looked at the boy, his eyes huge the next moment when he stared at where the gravestone had just been seconds ago. "Oh my...! Someone has activated one of the circles!"

"What?", Yuuta shouted and immediately jumped up. "Is it... Is it your Shadow? Is it time already?"

"No, someone else has activated it!", Mr. Bagman replied, agitated. "And it's the circle that stores the souls and releases them when activated!"

"Is... Is the circle that catches and unites them not activated?", Yuuta asked hopefully.

Mr. Bagman quickly closed his eyes and concentrated before he opened them again and smiled, also hopefully, at Yuuta. "That one is not activated."

"So that means...!", Yuuta gasped, hope evident in his voice.

Mr. Bagman nodded. "Yes. If nobody nor nothing is there to catch the souls they will return to where they belong, one by one!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Elizabeth who had only been silently staring at the golden gate in front of her after Margaret had returned suddenly turned to her older sister. "I can sense several human souls outside in the human world.", she said.

Margaret only nodded as an answer.

Mrs. Hanamura was immediately on alert. "What, really? Then hurry up and-"

"No.", was Margaret's simple answer to that.

"No?", Mrs. Hanamura repeated, immediately furious. "What do you mean, `no´?"

"From the beginning, we've agreed that wouldn't other people's souls to open this gate.", Margaret calmly explained.

"But Minato...!", Mrs. Hanamura shouted at her in disbelief. "He's been trapped in there all these years long! He... He..." She stared at the door where quiet knocking could be heard from. "He wants to get out of there!"

"And you want to use other innocent people's lifes in exchange? I won't stand for that.", Margaret replied, voice ice-cold all of a sudden as she glared at her.

"But...! But...!", Mrs. Hanamura stubbornly spluttered before she suddenly clutched her stomach in pain and sank to the ground. "Ugh!"

Elizabeth immediately knelt next to her in worry to see if she could help her.

"You shouldn't get so worked up.", Margaret merely said to Mrs. Hanamura, disgust evident in her voice. "Acting like that won't do you any good in the condition you're in."

"This... is nothing...!", Mrs. Hanamura gasped and slowly stood up from the ground again. "If it... can help to free Minato... then I can... endure anything that gets thrown at me..."

"Oh?", Margaret only said and turned away from her, staring at the gate behind her. _`Foolish girl! You and Elizabeth are so blinded by your worry for that boy that you just don't want to realize what's lurking behind there!´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The ground that Tanaba University was build on was shaking more and more in the meantime.

Utter chaos had broken out in Mr. Bagman's office, dozens of documents and utsensils being hurled around, the writing table already laying completely destroyed against the door that was about halfway ripped out of its hinges.

"... taaaaa... Na... Ma... yu... Naaaa...", the cut off part of the Shadow merely grunted and caught one whimpering soul that escaped the circle after another, swallowing each of them in absolute bliss.

The battle against the main part of the Shadow was still continuing in the PC in the meantime. The Investigation Team had also finally reached the battlefield and tried to do everything in their power to distract and keep the Shadow at by while Mitsuru, Junpei, Ken and Koromaru (Akihiko had left in order to keep the students away from the PC) did their best to eliminate the Shadow.

"I thought we'd defeated that piece o' crap!", Kanji shouted through all the noise that the spells that were thrown through the hall caused, and used the small table he carried as a weapon like a tennis racket to hurl the tentacles right back at the Shadow.

"Yes, but it always rebuilds itself if even one tiny part of it remains! Souji-senpai only ripped it apart, its parts still lying scattered about so it easily rebuild itself!", Rise shouted, she and Yukiko working together and throwing rocks at the Shadow.

"Persona!... Damnit!... PERSONA!... Shit!", Yosuke cursed at the same time while tried again and again to summon his Persona with the Neo Evoker. "It had worked during the battle against Hiro, so why not now?" He dodged one of the Shadow's tentacles. "How did that thing even manage to get into our world!"

"I assume part of it had become stuck at Ikas-san's soul!", Naoto shouted, alternating between shooting at the creature with her revolver and trying to summon a Persona with her Neo Evoker. "That's how it managed to get into our world when the soul went back to its body!"

"Disgusting piece of crap!", Kou shouted.

"... ma... ta... me...", the Shadow only grunted as an answer and used another Teradyne attack that destroyed the PC's floor even more as huge rocks broke out of it.

"`Matame´... Does it mean `Matarme´? That's Spanish for `Kill me´!", Mitsuru shouted through the hall.

"I'd gladly do so, but first it has to sit the hell still!", Souji yelled back, his Persona Izanagi flying through the room and cutting off one tentacle after another; a futile effort since they grew right back on to the Shadow. It had taken him several tried, but in the end he had managed to summon his Persona, even outside of the TV world. _`Too bad the energy Margaret lend me's already run out... Shouldn't have used it all at once by summoning such high-leveled Personas...´_, he thought while staring at his old Compendium full of Personas that were just begging to be used. _`Damnit, Philemon! How much longer'll it take for you to get your powers back!´_

"Uh... Is it only me, or is that thing actually getting huger and huger by the minute?", Chie shouted through the hall the next moment.

Souji stared at the Shadow. Indeed, the creature was growing taller and taller.

"What the...? How?", Junpei shouted in confusion, making the Shadow explode with another Agidyne attack, only to have the Shadow lazily rebuild itself seconds later. "Fuckin' asshole! Just stay dead!"

Rise looked around the room. "It had also grown bigger when it had swallowed Chie-senpai! But I don't see anything it could absorb here in order to grow like that...", she said.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The Shadow's cut off part happily continued to swallow the souls that escaped the circle one after another.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Ti... tano... machia..."

The moment the Shadow had uttered those words, the whole ground was torn asunder, and the friends barely managed in time to escape into the huge hall's corners when a gigantic piece of ground broke out of the floor, Shadow Ikas riding on it and slowly swallowing that huge piece, growing even taller and becoming an abnormal ball of sludge that broke through the ceiling, growing further into the sky.

"Oh my...!", Teddie gasped and nearly broke his neck as he tried to stare at the top of that ball.

"That thing's going to burst if it keeps on swallowing stuff! It's going to explode!", Rise yelled in complete panic.

"What?", Souji shouted, also panicked. "But if it does that, it's going to destroy itself in the process as well!"

"Fuck! If that thing really explodes, then there won't be much left of Tanaba University, much less everyone inside!", Junpei shouted, getting desperate.

"Ma... ta... meeee..."

"Then die already! But keep us out of it!", Yosuke yelled up at the Shadow that kept on swallowing more and more pieces of rock.

"What should we do?", Rise shouted through the room, staring at Souji for help, the silver-haired Fool just as helpless as everyone else.

"... ta... m-", the Shadow started wheezing again before it suddenly screeched loudly.

"What? Is it gonna explode now?", Kou shouted and closed his eyes in fear.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The Shadow's cut off part fell completely apart in Mr. Bagman's office, having been burned to the core until not even a single piece remained of it.

"Hmp...", the old professor Mr. Bagman who had eliminated that part harrumphed and gently knocked on the floor with his cane. The circle slowly disappeared back into the ground before the old man also vanished into the floor, still clutching his badly aching chest.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"... ta... taaaa... tameeeeee... Ma... yu... ma...", the Shadow gasped and groaned before it screeched again loudly when the ground under it suddenly opened.

"What's going on no-?", Ken shouted, but stopped in horror when two huge hands made of fire shot out of the ground, grabbed the struggling Shadow and dragged it into the depths of the ground until it had completely disappeared.

Sudden silence in the room, then...

"... Saki-senpai?", Yosuke asked into the room, but didn't get an answer. "SAKI-SENPAI!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Hmph...", Mr. Bagman harrumphed again while - after having pulled the Shadow back into the TV world with his alchemy - unleashed one blazing inferno after the other on the Shadow using his cane where the letters on it had suddenly taken on the form of a new word. "Do. You. Really. Think. I. Would. Just. Let. You. Explode. Like. That. And. Drag. All. Those. Souls. I. Worked. So. Hard. To. Gather. With. You?", he shouted, throwing a fire dragon at Shadow Ikas at each word he spoke. "I will _not_ start from the beginning, my dear! Oh no!"

Another blazing inferno, and Ikas' Shadow had completely vanished, uttering a last `taaa... meee...´ before its defeat.

Hundreds of souls - the ones that the Shadow had absorbed and were now free again- were suddenly shooting through the area.

"Oh no! You get back here, my dears!", the old professor shouted and jumped forwarwd, efficiently stabbing each of them with his cane and absorbing them.

Finally, after he had all the souls back, he landed back on the ground, panting heavily as he stared at Ikas who was lying unconsciously on the ground.

"Tch!" The old man continued to look at her for a few more moments before he gently knocked on the ground, a portal appearing and taking her back to the human world.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"SAKI-SENPAI!", Yosuke yelled again when Ikas' body appeared inside the PC again, and stormed over to her.

"Nnngh...", the shy student groaned a few moments later and slowly opened her eyes, staring into Yosuke's worried face. "What...?"

"May I introduce to you...", Naoto said, also having wandered over to her together with the others. "This is Saki Konishi, the first human who has ever managed to kill her own Shadow without the help of a Persona."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's comment: There was some confusion regarding Adachi and the Velvet Room so I'll try explaining it in detail here: When Adachi had first shaken hands with Izanami he hadn't pushed anyone into the TV world at all. He was just another normal human being at that point. He was summoned into the Velvet Room during the night after meeting Izanami. Again, he hadn't pushed anyone in yet so he was not one of the bad guys yet. If he had decided to agree to the contract, his fate maybe could have changed and someone else would have taken on the role of the bad guy. Philemon would have certainly stopped granting Adachi his powers if Adachi had still continued to play the bad guy.**

**Now, regarding the Social Links: Adachi stated that he could still sense the Social Links he could have had when he had accepted the contract. He also stated in the last chapter that those Social Links couldn't help him at all since had didn't get Philemon's blessings (and certainly not after starting to push other people in), but he still took some kind of perverted delight in playing around with those Social Links, Dojima being one of those unfortunate people, thus making him the complete opposite of Souji who didn't just level up the links for his own personal fun.**

**I hope that explains it a little better to you all. ^^;**

** Natzo: The problem with Souji and the rest realizing that Bagman is evil is that he hasn't done anything bad in front of them yet. The only thing they know about him is that he's kinda like Morooka was, but also mysterious as he seems to know about the other world. But he also helped them when they had to save Patty. Of course, we as the reader know everything Bagman has been up to. It's all in the perspective. ;)**


	97. Chapter 95: The case of Saki Konishi

_**Chapter 95: The case of Saki Konishi**_

""May I introduce to you...", Naoto said, also having wandered over to her together with the others through the ruins of the PC. "This is Saki Konishi, the first human who has ever managed to kill her own Shadow without the help of a Persona."

Ikas' gaze traveled slowly and insecurely over to her. "Sha... dow?", she asked before she suddenly screamed loud and pitifully.

"Saki-senpai?", Yosuke shouted in slight panic and shook her. "What´s wrong?"

"I-I...", Ikas gasped and just screamed again.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Flashback:

"... Who cares about Junes, anyway? Because of that store, our business is ruined, my parents hate me, the neighbors talk behind my back... I wish everything would just disappear... I... don't need anyone... I... just want to be left alone! Everything around me... JUST DISAPPEAR!"

"... Aha... haha..."

Saki Konishi, whose face had just now been full of fury, stared now at her Shadow that had started to chuckle after her short speech in uncertainty.

"Don't need anyone? _You_? That's a load of bullshit! Don't make me laugh!", Shadow Saki screamed at her original, its eyes blazing yellow. "_You_ who never manages to do anything alone? _You_ who had to cling to some disgusting guy in hopes to escape Inaba, just to get dumped soon after and being left alone here once again? Hah! You're even still scared to be in the dark! You can only sleep since mommy, daddy and lil' bro are sleeping only a few doors away from your room! You're so pathetic, it almost makes me wanna barf! ... _Almost_, of course." The Shadow stared at the thoroughly shaking body of its original. "Juts look at yourself! Your whole body is shaking, you're absolutely scared to death! I wonder how much longer it'll take before you piss your pants!" It laughed out loud again.

"Shut the hell up! I'm not scared of a liar like you!", Saki screamed and tried to get her treacherous body under control.

"Liar, huh? But you're the biggest one here!", the Shadow replied, shaking its head. "You can't do anything alone! Whether it is your `best friend´ who has to come with you to the faculty office and hold your hand all the while because you're oh so very scared of the bad, bad teachers inside, or whether it is that dumbass son of the Junes manager who's gotta help you at your part-time job! You're absolutely useless alone!"

"I-"

"However...", Shadow Saki sighed. "I can quite understand you, Saki. I know how it feels to long for strength and independency while in reality you're just a coward who's even scared of their own shadow. After all, I am you."

"No, you're absolutely not!", Saki screamed at her Shadow vehemently. "You're not me!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Present:

"Saki-senpai!", Yosuke shouted once again in panic as Saki held her head, groaning and rolling around the floor. "What... What should we-?"

"Let's get her to her lounge first!", Naoto suggested. "That's something no ordinary doctor could do something against." She glanced at Kanji who nodded and effortlessly lifted the female student up in his arms, carrying her toward her lounge.

"No!", Ikas screamed in his arms and started punching everything she could reach, hitting Kanji's chin in the process.

"Fuck!", Kanji gasped and had nearly let her fall to the ground in pain if Yosuke and Souji hadn't grabbed her in time.

"Watch it, dude!", Yosuke growled at him and lifted her into his arms now, groaning under her weight.

Ikas had started to whimper now, still swinging her fists around like crazy. "No... sister...?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Flashback:

"Oh, Saki! How heartless you are!", Shadow Saki sniffed while its body started transforming more and more, hundreds of razor sharp needles growing out of its body which pierced everything around, be it the fridges that exploded immediately, or the sake barrels splashing their alcoholic contents around, or Saki herself who screamed miserably as the needles pierced through her body and caused deeps gashes on her body.

"No... No...!", Saki whimpered in panic, tears streaming down her face, while she slowly backed away from the creature that grew larger and larger in size.

"I was like a twin sister for you, Saki! Always at your side, even though you had ignored me all this time!", the Shadow screamed, finally having stopped growing and staring down at Saki with its piercing yellow eyes. "Now you can't really ignore me anymore, can you?" It struck after Saki with one of its arms that looked like chain saws now. Saki screeched as she ran to the side and away from her Shadow, through halls of fridges and vending machines, the smell of all the alcohol that was now scattered everywhere making her slightly drunk.

"Don't run away, Saki!", the Shadow shouted as Saki quickly hid behind an especially large barrel, unable to surpress her scared whimpering. "Saki!" The barrel completely exploded the next moment as it was pierced through by a giant needle, and Saki was thrown to the side.

"No...! No!", the young student screamed and continued storming through the hallways, the Shadow immediately behind her, laughing like crazy, until she reached a dead end.

"No!", Saki pleadingly screeched again and looked around in panic, desperately searching for an escape route. "P-please... d-don't..." The Shadow only smirked at her as it came to a halt immediately in front of her. "Mo-mommy... Da-daddy... Na-Na-Naoki... Anyone... please..."

"Ahahahaha!", Shadow Saki laughed. "Do you see now how helpless and pathetic you are?"

Several needles pinned Saki against the wall who screamed even more in endless pain.

"No! I don't want to die! No! Daddy! Mommy!", Saki cried and tried to break free as best as possible, tears streaming down her face in abandon.

"Oh, Saki, what have you done now again? You bad, bad girl! Counting on others again while you already have your better half right here for you!"

"You're... not me!", Saki managed to cry out again.

"Hah!", the Shadow laughed in amusement before its facial features suddenly turned completely animalistic, the room now completely devoid of any fog at all, as it turned down with its face toward Saki. "Your face! Your skin! Your hair! Your smile! Your tears! I will take everything away from you, Saki! And then, someday... I will finally be myself!" It screamed loudly and once again struck with its needles at an also loudly screaming Saki.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Present:

"Oomph!", Yosuke groaned as he lay down Saki on the bed in her lounge. The student still screamed and writhed around like crazy.

"What now?", Akihiko whom they had met on their way back asked them. "Should I call the Kirijo Groups doctor once again?"

"I don't think that will help.", Naoto opined. "The way she's screaming and mumbling stuff looks to me like she is remembering something."

Yosuke stared at Ikas worriedly. "Saki-senpai..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Flashback:

Her whole body felt sluggish and ached all other, as if it weren't actually her own. She could her voices around her.

"Simply amazing...", one of the voices said, and as she finally managed to look up she could see a woman in a blue dress who stood there together with another woman in the shop. Both women were staring from the corpse of something huge that had hundreds of needles coming out of its body to her. "I never thought that something like this could be possible..."

_`Where... am I? ... Who am I?´_

"That's an extremely giant Shadow. Nearly the size of Erebus, I think.", the other woman opined, staring at the huge Shadow. The woman stared back at her. "Elizabeth, is that really...?"

"Yes.", the other woman named Elizabeth replied.

"Shouldn't we... tell Margaret and that Igor guy about this?", the other woman asked.

"Indeed, Margaret should know of this, but Master Igor would be... rather put off by this, Hanamura-san.", Elizabeth answered.

"Hmm...", Mrs. Hanamura hummed in thought. "But this can only be to our advantage. Just think about how lucky we are that it ended up being somebody who's so close to Yosuke! I'm sure she can help him unlock his-"

"I think you're being _too_ hopeful just now, Hanamura-san.", Elizabeth interrupted her. "Just look at the girl. After what happened just now, I'm sure she can't remember anything at all anymore. Who she is. Where's she comes from. It will take years before she will finally be ready."

"Years...", Mrs. Hanamura repeated and once again looked at the girl on the ground. "But... who else should we choose then? Whoe else would..."

"I don't know.", Elizabeth replied, just as clueless as she was.

"Well, it just means that our plan will take longer than we expected, right?", Mrs. Hanamura asked her, face determined.

Elizabeth stared at her for a moment, doubt evident on her face, before she finally nodded.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Present:

Ikas' body had finally started to stop shaking and relax, and she slowly opened her eyes again.

"I-I...", she mumbled and looked around the room.

"Welcome back, Ikas-san.", Naoto said to her, voice as calm as possible.

"Ikas Ito...", the female student mumbled. "No... That's... not my..."

"... Not your real name, right?", Naoto helped her.

Ikas nodded slowly. "I-I..." She looked down at her body. "I... I'm really still alive... But how?"

"How much do you remember?", Naoto asked her.

Ikas slowly looked back at her before she said: "My... My real name is Saki Konishi."

Yosuke gasped audibly as the others' gazed got more and more serious.

"... I... had met my Shadow, and it... it... had killed me?", Ikas - no, Saki Konishi! - mumbled, lost in thought. "But then... how did I...?"

"Do you... Do you remember me?", Yosuke excitedly interrupted her and leaned over the bed to her.

"Y-Y-Y-Yes.", Saki stammered, face beet-red all of a sudden, as she quickly backed away from him. "Y-Y-Y-Yosuke-san, the nice student I got to know here."

"Oh...", Yosuke only said with a quite sad expression.

"So it seems she can't remember everything.", Yukiko said in sympathy.

"But I think it's more than enough for the moment.", Naoto said. "She is able to tell us her real name, and her way of speaking has changed quite a bit already. All her stammering was rather hindering when it came to being able to have a normal discussion with her." She turned to Saki again. "Saki-san, you said you had met your Shadow?"

Saki slowly nodded. "Yes. That meeting and my name... that's the only thing I can really remember now..." She started touching her body once again in wonder, now shaking a bit again. "But... why am I not dead? The Shadow... it had killed me, right?"

Naoto sighed deeply before she said: "No, Saki-san. I think it's the other way around."

"What do you mean?", Souji asked her. "You've said something like that in the PC moments already moments ago."

"Well, it's the only scenario that makes sense right now... And even that is just absolutely unbelievable.", Naoto replied and looked at Patty and Yukiko who both nodded grimly. "Together with Patty and Yukiko-senpai I've gone through the data about Saki Konishi's corpse who had been found hanging dead from an antenna pole after a foggy night once again, during the time we had our... argument with you, Senpai. We've stumbled upon something there which I hadn't considered as important back when I had gone through the data years ago since it was a whole other world we had been dealing with at that time." She stopped and quickly looked around the room, as if trying to find the right words, before she continued: "The cause of death could not be established for both Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi. We all know why: Because of the TV world where they had been killed by their Shadows. But Saki Konishi's corpse's case we couldn't get nearly any data or conclusions at all since all the examinations we did or X-rays we took were just too blurry and screwed up to make any sense of them."

"Well, she had been killed in the TV world after all, like you just said. I guess it just happens.", Kou opined.

"Yes. That had also been my assumption back then after learning about the other world. That's why I hadn't looked into it any more at that time.", Naoto agreed and nodded. "But now there suddenly was the possibility that Ikas Ito could really be Saki Konishi. And we've also asked Teddie if Saki smells human. He's told us that she does. Yamagishi-sensei has also confirmed that she feels human. That is why I have come to another conclusion: Yukiko-senpai, Patty and I have gone through the data another time, this time with the fact that Ikas Ito could really be Saki Konishi, and also the fact that Teddie's X-rays had been far too blurry as well back then. And indeed, the X-rays of the corpse and Teddie's had been quite similar."

The others only stared at her.

"So what you're trying to tell us is...", Souji slowly said.

"Yes.", Naoto nodded again. "What had been found hanging on the antenna back then in Inaba wasn't the real Saki Konishi, but her Shadow: Shadow Saki."

"... But... how?", Chie asked after several moments of complete silence. "That's totally impossible! Complete B.S.!"

"I don't know how it happened either.", Naoto admitted. "But the battle against that strange creature just now has only affirmed my theory. That thing wasn't a real Shadow. It was the remains of a dead one. Adachi-san has told us once that Shadows who have been destroyed will always return to life after a while, as long as their original is still alive. But Saki-san has somehow managed to kill her Shadow. It wasn't able to become a Persona since she never accepted it. But there's still this stubborn part of the Shadow that comes back time and time again and refuses to completely die, as long as the original - in this case Saki-san - is still alive. This... This _thing_ that we've just encountered is some abnormality - something completely unique - that has never existed before since nobody has ever managed to kill off a beserk Shadow without accepting it and obtaining a Persona."

"But... is that really possible at all?", Mitsuru asked, quite doubtful.

"There are other clues as well.", Naoto answered her. "Kou-senpai, Patty and Yamagishi-sensei's Shadows all appeared on the TV screen shortly after their souls had been kidnapped, and had announced their TV program. But Saki-san's Shadow is dead, so it couldn't appear on screen. This remaining part of the Shadow has probably only enough intelligence to kidnap its original into the TV world and fight. And I bet..." She turned to Souji. "... that thing attack without Saki-san denying it."

Souji odded.

"It's not a full-fledged Shadow anymore. It's only a... well, shadow of its former self. A ghost, if you want to call it that. That's why it's also continued to re-assemble it, no matter how often we tore it apart. I am sure it will soon return to the TV world, unable to disappear until Saki-san dies one day."

"Scaaary...", Junpei only said.

"I... really did that?", Saki asked in disbelief. "But how?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know. The only one who can answer that is you, Saki-san.", Naoto answered her. "Although this explains why you can use alchemy."

"Alchemy?", Saki repeated, puzzled.

"If you defeat your Shadow, you can use alchemy in theory since you've awakened to your Mind Energy.", Mitsuru explained to her. "But you have to really train for that to happen. If you awaken to your Mind Energy _and_ Body Energy, though, it will become much, much easier. Just like with Yamagishi who has managed to somewhat take control of her alchemic powers now."

"That is also what you'd used to escape from us into the TV world when we had tried to question you the first time.", Naoto continued. (Author's notes: Chapter 56!)

"Oh...", Saki hummed in thought.

"That's probably also what helped you escape from the TV world after you'd killed your Shadow, right?", Souji asked her.

Ikas shook her head. "No. Mama helped me get out.", she answered.

"Mama? You mean Mrs. Konishi?", Yosuke asked her.

"I... err... I mean my mother Minako.", Saki explained.

"Minako...?", Chie repeated, puzzled. "But that's not Mrs. Konishi's name. That's Yosugay's mother's name."

"Would you stop that already?", Yosuke growled at her before turning back to Saki. "But `Minako´...? Heh, small welt! She really has the same name as my mother!" He looked at the others who just stared at him. "What?"

"... Well, your mother _has_ disappeared, Yosuke-senpai, and there's still no clue as to her whereabouts.", Naoto said hesitantly.

"... What are you trying to get at?", Yosuke asked her, now slightly annoyed.

"I... just want to say that it could be possible that...", Naoto hurriedly tried to explain.

"My mother's got nothing to do with this.", Yosuke said calmly, but his voice ice-cold now.

Mitsuru bit her lower lip in the meantime. She had promised Soichiro Hanamura during their talk on the phone that she wouldn't tell his son about the call. And she always kept her promises. But...

"Hanamura, could you please call your father?", she suddenly asked Yosuke who looked at her in confusion. "It was your father you had told me back then that Takeba is dead."

"What?", Akihiko said and looked at her together with the rest of the group in disbelief. "Why didn't you.."

"He'd set a trap at the beginning of our conversation and made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone, especially not his son.", she explained as she stared into Akihiko's eyes. "You and everyone else knows that I always keep my promises, Akihiko. But this goes a little bit too far now..."

My father did...", Yosuke mumbled slowly and confused.

"Please, just call him Yosuke.", Souji pleaded with him.

Yosuke stared at him for a moment, grumbling, before she finally stuck his hand into his jeans and got out his cell phone in which he hammered the number in annoyance before he held the phone against his ear.

Silence.

And even more silence...

"Err...", Yosuke said as he stared at the display. "He's not picking up."

"Try again.", Naoto said.

Yosuke sighed and did as he was told.

Once again nobody answered the call.

"Hmm...", Naoto hummed in thought.

"He... He's probably just busy at the moment.", Yosuke hurriedly said. "And that whole thing about Mom going missing is seriously wearing him down! He probably doesn't want to have any phone calls right now! Yeah, that's it! That explains it!"

"Yosuke...", Souji slowly started to speak while Yosuke put on a very fake smile and quickly put his cell phone away again.

"I mean, hellooo? My mother and my father, involved in this mess? Hah!", Yosuke laughed. "They don't even know about the TV world! Ridiculous!"

"Yosuke-senpai...", Naoto tried reasoning with him as well.

"So, Saki-senpai...", Yosuke just continued on and tried to divert everyone's attention back to Saki. "This Minako person - your mother - let you out of the TV world, right?"

Saki nodded, a little bit unsure now. "I've been in the TV world for a long time before I could finally enter this world.", she said. "I had always felt those other creatures - the Shadows - around me, but they've never felt like they had just now when I had been kidnapped. This world has never been evil to me until now. It had rather been a place of healing and relaxation to me."

"I assume the Shadows were too scared to attack her since she'd already managed to kill her Shadow that had also gone beserk on top of that.", Naoto mumbled, choosing to ignore the topic of Yosuke's parents for the moment. "The TV world may have bowed down to her will as well due to that. But the moment she had been kidnapped, she had only been a powerless soul, completely defenseless. That's why the world and the Shadows inside immediately turned against her at that moment."

"You said something about healing.", Yukiko said to Saki. "Do you mean to say you were always in the TV world when you've been missing due to your sickness?"

Saki nodded again. "Yes. As you already know, my body's not really in great condition. It's rather frail and I'm very often sick. It's often pretty hard to live through the day, but I somehow always manage... for most of the time, anyway. But... it just gets _too_ bad from time to time, so that I have to return to the TV world and rest at my secret sanctuary."

"Secret sanctuary?", Rise repeated questioningly.

"Yes. It's a world full of crystals. It's... so comfortably warm there.", Ikas explained. "If I rest there for a while, I always feel much better."

"Hmm...", Naoto hummed in thought and stared at Saki's wounds. "Could those wounds that the Shadow caused her be the cause of her sickness...?"

"It would be a possibility.", Souji agreed.

"Those cuts aren't normal, that's for sure.", Junpei opined. "That's what the doc said, anyway. Strange stuff, that is. Could be that it's 'cause of that."

"Those wounds...?", Saki mumbled and looked at all those deep cuts and gashes. "Hmm..."

"Saki-san.", Naoto began speaking to her again. "... That night we chased you through the university... did you see anything then? Did you manage to identify the culprit?"

Saki slowly shook her head, looking sad. "No.", she answered, and when she noticed the disappointed faces of the others: "But I heard a voice!"

"A voice?", Souji repeated.

"Yes. It had laughed. And... I _think_... it was male."

Yosuke looked at the entrance door. "I'm gonna break Hiro's neck!", he growled.

"Hey! That doesn't prove anything!", Patty shouted and jumped in front of the door. "Hiro is male, sure! But so are you and many others! And she also can't tell whether it was his voice or not! R-right?" She looked pleadingly at Saki.

"I... can't say for sure whose voice I heard.", Saki answered, trying to clearly remember what she had heard.

"Did it sound distorted maybe?", Souji asked her, making her look in confusion at him. "Well, err... Oh, I got it! I mean, distorted like your Shadow's voice had been distorted?"

"Oh, I see what you mean.", Saki said, nodding. "But... no, the voice wasn't distorted at all."

"So no Messiah...", Souji said. "But wait! He can turn into other people so... Hmm..."

"This new abduction only managed to throw us further of track and away from solving the case.", Akihiko sighed. "All those motives we found for the other victims are now void as well."

"Yes...", Naoto agreed, dispirited.

"Hmm... But they had always been people who had done some mean things to Saki shortley before they had been thrown into the TV world...", Chie piped in and scratched her head before she laughed out loud. "Lol! Maybe some secret admirer!"

Naoto just stared at her.

"Wh... What?", the brunette asked her, dumbfounded. "Did I strike gold again?"

Naoto's gaze wandered through the room and stopped at Yosuke.

"What? It's not me!", he immediately snapped.

"I know that. I was just looking somewhere while thinking.", Naoto said, already lost in thought once again. "A secret admirer..." She bit her lower lip. "But would someone really go that for, just because they're in love..."

"Takes all kinds, I guess...", Junpei said, shrugging.

"But what kind of secret admirer would push his love interest into the TV world?", Kou objected, shaking his head while staring at Chie. "I could never do that."

"Maybe to prove that Saki's innocent?", Rise suggested.

"And risk getting her killed? I think not.", Naoto replied.

"Or...", Yukiko started and threw some awkward glances at Chie. "Maybe the culprit found out that Ika- err, Saki and Yosuke-kun... well..."

"Oooh, I get! And because he was so beary jealous, he threw her in as punishment! Raaawr!", Teddie agreed, nodding vehemently.

"Hmm...", Naoto only hummed again. "I don't know... Both of those theories don't really sound that convincing, but... hmm..."

She was shaken out of her thoughts when Saki suddenly groaned loudly again.

"Saki-senpai!", Yosuke shouted and knelt next to her.

"I... ugh!", Saki whimpered. "I think... it's going to be that time again soon... It's getting worse again..."

"Saki-senpai...", Yosuke mumbled and stared at her for a while, before his gaze changed to one of determination. He nodded to himself and turned to Akihiko. "Akihiko-san, would it... be okay if I move into Saki-senpai's lounge?"

"Whaaat?", Chie shouted in indignation. "Pervesuke, you horny-"

"I can't just leave her all alone in here in the condition she's in! Please, Akihiko-san!", Yosuke interrupted her, pleading.

"Hmm..." Akihiko only stared at him in thought.

"That's impossible!", Chie tried to interfer again. "He can't jus-"

"I think that would be for the best.", Akihiko finally agreed, making Chie stop in mid-sentence, her mouth wide open. "I, too, don't really feel that comfortable to leave her alone in this lounge when her sickness could be getting worse any moment. And since you're already volunteering..." He nodded. "Alright, Hanamura. You can move in here."

"Okay. Thanks.", Yosuke thanked him, smiling gratefully.

"B-b-b-b-b-but I don't wanna be alone with Kanjiiiii! He's going to do some unspeakable things to me!", Teddie screeched in panic.

"You little...!", Kanji immediately snapped at him.

"What are you talking about! You're gonna come with me.", Yosuke said and looked at Akihiko who nodded.

"Hrmm...", Teddie hummed and looked from Yosuke to Saki, before she said: "Nope." He turned to Souji. "Sensei, can I... move in with you?"

"Huh?" The silver-haired Fool looked at him in confusion. "Uh, sure, I guess. Right, Kou?"

Kou nodded. "But doesn't Teddie have to act like Yosuke's teddy bear so that we can trick the dire- oh..." He looked at Akihiko who raised one of his eyebrows. "Guess there's no point to _that_ anymore."

"I'd rather live with Sensei than stupid old Yosuke.", Teddie said and nodded seriously, Yosuke sticking his tounge out at him.

"At least I won't have to worry about laptop-hogging bears anymore. Good riddance to that.", the music-loving man said, shrugging, and turned to Saki with a smile. "Guess we're gonna be roommates from today on, Senpai."

"U-um... Y-yeah...", Saki stammered, her cheeks beet-red now.

"Excuse me!", Chie suddenly shouted with a far too high voice and stormed out of the lounge.

"Ch-", Souji and Yukiko began in unison and were about to run after her, but Kou was faster than both of them, already out of the room.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Bakamura! Pervesuke! Yoursooogaaaaay!", Chie screamed while stomping through the university's hallways, completely ignoring the annoyed shouts from the other lounges she shoud `shut the hell up´. "Idiot! Asshole!"

She stomped against the entrance door that opened with a loud BANG and stormed outside on the campus where cold rain immediately soaked her clothes. She stopped at one of those iron rods that students who didn't live at the campus could look their bicycles at, leaned against it, took some deep breaths and looked up at the cloudy sky.

"Asshole!", she suddenly shouted again and randomly kicked with one of her legs.

"Whoa!", Kou shouted, having reached her at just that moment, and barely dodged the kick.

"... Kou-kun? What... What do you want?", Chie asked, sniffing.

"I...- Chie-san, are you crying?", Kou asked her.

"Tch! That's just rain trailing down my face!", Chie snapped at him while stubbornly staring up at the sky.

"Oh, err, sure...", Kou hurriedly said before hesitantly leaning against the iron rod as well.

"What do you want?", the brunette asked him again. "Followed me to laugh at me?"

"... Huh?"

"Do you really think I wouldn't notice all those looks you always throw at me?", she snarled at him. "You're always staring at me funnily, mostly whenever I argue with Failsuke! You really think I'm that funny and pathetic, huh!"

"I... No!", Kou stammered. "That was never my intention! I have never thought that! Really, Chie-san!"

"Pfft! Whatever!", the brunette shouted and kicked against some pebble stones near her. "And stop always calling me `Chie-_san_´! It's annoying!"

"O... kay...", Kou said unsure and stared up at the sky as well.

Several silent minutes went by before he suddenly babbled: "I think you're really absolutely cool!"

"... Huh?"

"Well... You're just... cool, I guess. Err... You kick just like Jackie Chan!", Kou continued to babble.

"That's Bruce Lee."

"Oh..." Kou stared at her face, embarrassed. Even with all that rain falling down from the sky, he could still noticed the tears on her face. "... Does it hurt?"

"... What? You mean the broken arm? Of course it hurts, dude.", Chie replied gruffly.

"No, not your broken arm. I mean your broken heart.", he corrected her.

The brunette only stared at the ground for a moment before she sighed and put on a pained smile. "I'm really pathetic, aren't I?", she said. "Falling in love with Bakamura, the biggest idiot who has ever graced this planet! God!" She sighed once again. "Did you see how he's staring at her! I don't stand a chance against _that_!"

"Hmm...", Kou only hummed.

"I'm the one being dumped and left behind again.", Chie continued. "Back then the guys I was interested in were always after Yukiko, now this. I'm the one being rejected once again. I don't have anyone..."

"You've... got me.", Kou said shyly.

"... Huh?"

"I... think you're cool.", Kou stammered. "And... well... attractive... and all that stuff.."

Chie stared at him like he'd suddenly grown several new heads at once. "HUH? Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! WHAT THE CRAP?"

"Err..."

"Whoa, dude! Is this supposed to be some bad Soap Opera?" Chie laughed in amusement. "Okay, okay, Kou! Where's the hidden camera?"

Kou looked at the ground in misery.

"... You're... not joking?"

Kou shook his head.

"Well shit..." Chie looked to the side. "Um, well... I... don't know what to say to that. I-"

"I can make you happy!", Kou suddenly interrupted her hurriedly, getting desperate.

"Err... Huh?"

"I mean... Why does it have to be Yosuke who's dating Saki and Souji at once?", Kou continued.

"Yosugay and Souji? What?"

"I... I love you!", Kou continued on, the words coming out far too fast. "Why does it have to be that guy who doesn't love you at all? Why not someone who like you for who you are? Why... why not... me..." Suddenly realizing what he had just said, he turned a deep shade of red and stared to the side. "I-I..."

"I don't know.", Chie suddenly said to him.

"... Huh?"

"I've... never tried to see you that way, Kou.", she explained. "I... think you're attractive and all that, but just because of that... I... I dunno..."

"I... see...", Kou mumbled in defeat.

"... You really love me?", she asked.

Kou only nodded hesitanty.

"Can I... have some time?", Chie asked.

"... Huh?"

"Like I said, I've never tried to see you that way and...", Chie stammered. "Maybe... with some time..."

"Oh... Oh! Uh, sure! Of course!", Kou quickly said with fake happiness in his voice. "That's sound awesome and all that! And... err..."

Both stared into opposite direction, the mood getting more and more awkward.

"Whoa! Just look at all that rain! ... Let's just... Let's just go back, 'kay?", Chie suggested.

Kou nodded immediately, all too happy to escape that forced situation.

They both walked back through the corridors in silence, entered Saki's lounge- and found Saki in Yosuke's arms...

Now, someone who had just walked into this situation could clearly get the wrong impression that those two were getting rapidly closer by the second. But in reality Saki had annoyed started to spasm when she had tried to stand up, being caught just in time by Yosuke before she had hit the ground.

But Chie had just walked into this situation...

"Oooh, Kou-kuuun! You beeeeaaaast!", Chie suddenly shouted the next moment with fervor, forcefully grabbed Kou and smashed her mouth against his.

All people present in the room stared with widely opened mouths at the spectacle in front of them: Chie continuedly smashed her lips brutally against Kou's, firing dozens of deathglares at Saki and Yosuke at the same time, while Kou's brain had just taken an early train for holiday, absolutely happily responding to the `kiss´.

... Yes, the love drama had just gotten thousand times worse than before...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Just a reminder: This is NOT a Kou x Chie fanfiction. **

**... The only one who really thinks they're couple now is Kou...**


	98. Chapter 96

_**Chapter 96: The end of the semester draws near**_

The gathered Investigation Team stared at Chie and Kou in disbelief who were still crashing their lips against each other while SEES who didn't know the group _that_ well yet to realize how wrong the current situation was just stared at the action in front of them with mild curiosity until...

CRASH!

Kou's knees had suddenly given in, and he and the brunette had crashed to the ground rather ungracefully.

"Ouch!", Chie yelped when Kou landed right on her broken arm.

"S-sorry!", the basketball-loving man gasped, his voice much higher than usual, and quickly helped her back on her feet before he - this time alone - fell to the ground once again, his legs not being able to support his weight any longer.

Yosuke was only quietly staring at Chie in the meantime, gaze expressionless.

"What, Failsugay?", Chie snapped at him, having realized the man was staring at her. "Sad that Kou's not available anymore? He's MINE now, got it!"

Kou only made an unidentifiable noise that sounded as if he was quite happy at the moment.

Yosuke only continued to stare at Chie in silence.

"E-err, Y-Y-Y-Yosuke-san...", Saki said hesitantly, still having problems to utter Yosuke's name without stuttering.

Yosuke absolutely ignored her, gaze still fixated on Chie.

"Y-Yosuke-san!", Saki said more loudly now, finally and slowly gaining back Yosuke's attention. He had unconsciously started to strengthen his grip on her and was now squashing her a little bit. He let go of her - Saki falling back into her bed quite ungently - and stared at Chie once again who, not really feeling all that comfortable at being stared at by him all the time, turned to Souji.

"And? Did we miss something?", she asked him.

"Weeell...", Souji slowly said, still perplexed by that kiss between her and Kou.

"Oh, that's right!", Saki said and jumped up from the bed, only to lose her balance again. Junpei caught her this time since Yosuke was still far too busy staring at Chie. "My mother doesn't have anything to do with this, Naoto-san!"

"It's only a speculation.", Naoto defended herself, trying her best not to revert back to her former self that had liked to bitch at everyone and everything.

"... Huh? What's this about her mother?", Kou asked, finally having managed to stand up again, although his knees were still shaking quite visibly.

Naoto turned to him. "As already mentioned, none of us - not even Saki-san herself - knows how she managed to destroy her Shadow.", she explained to him and Chie. "I had merely mentioned that she might have had some kind of help: Her `mother´."

"Hmm... Yeah, that sounds-"

"No, my mother's got nothing to do with this!", Saki said again, this time with more force. "She would have never let me face the danger of meeting my Shadow in the first place if she had been there at that team! She's a good person! I-I can feel it!"

"Saki-san...", Naoto said and sighed.

"Hmm... Feel it...", Junpei mumbled while scratching his goat beard before his eyes widened in quite a funny way, as if he had suddenly found divine enlightenment. "Hey, now I know why you seemed so familiar to me! You're that weird girl who had stuttered all that stuff about evil presences in the PC to me back then!"

"... Huh?" Saki looked at him in confusion. "Oh, the janitor! I didn't really notice you with all these people in here."

Naoto's hopeful gaze wandered to Souji who looked back at her, equally hopeful.

"You... You really sensed that, Saki? The presence in the PC, I mean?", Souji asked her.

"E-err, yes.", Saki replied, nodding slowly. "It... had felt quite cold and scary in there.. and..." She stopped, her body shaking.

"She's a sensory type...", Naoto mumbled. "Did that maybe help her during the battle against her Shadow...?" She shook her head. "That's not important right now!" She turned back to Saki. "Saki-san, we have an ally among us who can also feel such things in our world: Yamagishi-sensei!"

"Sensei?", Saki repeated, unsure, and looked around the room for the Informatics Professor who was still asleep in Naoto's room.

"Yes. And Yamagishi-sensei told us that this `aura´ is still-"

"... Still inside Tanaba University?", Saki ended her sentence before looking to the ground. "Yes, when I woke up after you had saved me from the TV world, it was still here... but... not anymore..."

"... Huh?" Rise looked at her questioningly.

"The aura disappeared the moment you'd defeated the remains of my Shadow.", Saki explained.

"But then...", Naoto started to speak, but Akihiko had already jumped up from his seat and was out of the door in mere seconds.

_`Poof and away! Like Houdini! Hee hee!´_, the voice inside Souji's head laughed in amusement.

_`If only you'd do the same, Messiah!´_, Souji snarled back in his thoughts, the voice only chuckling as an answer before it fell quiet again.

Moments later the door was opened once again, and Akihiko and a rather sleepy-looking Fuuka entered the lounge.

"Yamagishi-sensei!", Naoto said as she saw the professor.

"The aura's vanished!", Fuuka immediately said. "It had taken a bit for me to fully regain consciousness, otherwise I would have been here much sooner.!"

"Thank God for that!", Saki said. "It had really made me sleepy. I couldn't concentrate at all."

"So you don't know where the aura came from?", Yukiko asked her.

"No...", Saki said, sad. "After it had vanished from the PC, it had seemed to have gained much more in intensity when I had returned from the TV world after having escaped from you." She sighed. Nobody at the university really likes me so the night I had returned to the human world, I had tried to get Y-Y-Y-Yosuke-san to help me. I'd walked to his lounge and-"

"Walked right into our arms.", Kanji remembered miserably. "Ya didn't have any time ta figure out where it came from."

"Unfortunately, no...", Saki replied, sighing deeply.

"Well, I for one am quite happy that it's finally gone.", Fuuka opined, relieved. "Yes, it is unfortunate that it's suddenly gone without us learning anything at all about it, but... I can finally stay awake longer than five seconds! That would have been a huge problem for me during the exams!"

"Exams...", Saki repeated, a cold shower running down her back. She looked at Yosuke. "Can you please turn back time and save me _after_ the exams?"

That finally got her a reaction out of Yosuke who had still been staring at Chie this whole time. He shortly looked at her before he laughed out loudly.

Saki gently smiled back at him.

"Ooooh, Kou-kuuuun!"

The others only rolled her eyes at Chie who had suddenly jumped into Kou's lap.

"Well, it's not only my job as a professor that's finally save again! I can also actively help you in solving this case outside of the TV world now!", Fuuka spoke after a few moments in which everyone had been staring at Chie and Kou, and turned to Souji. "I promise I'll do my best to help you solve this case, Souji-san!"

Souji nodded and smiled at her.

"Thou art I... and I am thou...", the other voice that Souji welcomed quite happily in his head suddenly spoke, the Sun Arcana appearing in front of his eyes. "Thou hast established a new bond... It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Sun Arcana..."

That gentle warmth immediately began to spread out through Souji's whole body.

"Me too!", Saki said, trying to stand up once again, but only only managing to sit up. "I may not be that much help since I can't summon a Persona, but... I'm going to do everything in my power to help you find the person who's doing such things to innocent people! It's just not right!"

"Welcome to the team, you two!", Souji welcomed them into the Investigation Team, the Fool Social Link reaching level four now that the team had two new members.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Whoa, whoa! Easy there!"

Laughing like crazy, Hiro Sideu jumped through the ruins of the PC, chased by a dragon of fire that Mr. Bagman was throwing at him.

"It was you!", Mr. Bagman snarled as he continued to chase Hiro through the darkness of the ruin with dragon. "It was you who led that blasted Shadow to my circle!"

"Ahahaha! Yap!", Hiro chuckled in amusement and created a wall of mud by punching the ground, the dragon being swallowed and extincted by it.

"Why?", Mr. Bagman growled and turned some of the rocks on the ground into a fist made of stone that tried crushing Hiro.

"Because it's fun, Sensei! So much fuuun!", Hiro only continued to laugh while he jumped like a frog through the remains of the once so meticulously polished hall.

"Hmph!", Mr. Bagman harrumphed, the fist of stone suddenly falling apart, all of its parts flying towards Hiro who merely grabbed them and threw them back like table tennis balls. "You would betray the man who raised you for your pathetic `fun´?"

"Yap.", came Hiro's immediate answer, grin gotten even huger than before. "I mean, isn't it kinda boring for Sensei as well, now that Yamagishi-sensei proved to be no danger since she's always asleep and can't find the circle? It's absolutely boring if everything just proceeds as planned! Where's the fun in that?"

Mr. Bagman sighed. "Kashim, I have absolutely no need for your kind of fun.", he said. "Especially not when it throws my plans so much off track that I have no choice but to carry the circle to another place!"

"Oooh! So where is it now?", Hiro asked curiously. A rock flew toward him from behind him which he barely managed to dodge.

"I surely won't tell you this time!", Mr. Bagman replied angrily. "It's your luck that you may still prove to be quite useful to me, Kashim. Otherwise I wouldn't leave it at that today."

"Awww, we're already finished for today?", Hiro asked, pouting. "Now where's the fun in tha-"

"I don't care about your fun!", Mr. Bagman yelled at him in annoyance before he finally vanished into the ground.

Hiro stared at the point where the old professor had vanished for quite some time before the grin completely left his face.

"You're becoming more and more irritated, Sensei... I guess it's almost time for you to go after the Dojima girl... right?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The next weeks seemed to go by pretty fast. After some more days of rain and the expected foggy day the sun had finally returned and started to torture Japan with its unbearable heat.

The students of Tanaba University considered this sudden change in wheather as a complete annoyance: Had they at least been able to console themselves during the time they had to study with the fact that they wouldn't have been able to anything fun outside the university anyway due to the miserable wheather, they now yearned to be outside more than ever. Many of them succumbed to the temptation of the nicer climate they were currently experiencing and had some fun in the city instead of continuing to study.

Fortunatley - or unfortunately, however one may see it -, Mr. Bagman was still absent due to illness and not at the university, so that there was absolutely nobody left to reprimand all those slackers.

Already one day after they had saved Saki, Yosuke had moved over to her lounge while Teddie - who had told Souji that he actually only didn't want to move in together with Yosuke because he didn't want to get in his way of his chance to score - moved into Souji and Kou's lounge where he immediately started to kidnap Souji's laptop again and again so that he could play his new Online game - RuneScape had gotten a bit too boring for him by now - named `Shin Megami Tensei Online´. The silver-haired Fool had only stared in disbelief at all those demons in the game that all seemed to look like his Personas. Add to that the fact that those creature could use attacks like `Bufudyne´ or `Mamudoon´ and the confusion was complete. Only once he spotted the sentence `sponsored by Kirijo Electronics´ in the fine print did he finally understand what exactly was going on here and could relax.

The constant usage of his laptop for Teddie's online gaming didn't prove to be a disadvantage, though. Since the aura over Tanaba University had finally he vanished, Souji felt more refreshed and awake than ever, and so he could study during the night while the blonde Shadow had his fun during the day. Kou was mostly absent anyway - he spent more and more time in Chie and Yukiko's lounge - so he could use the other man's laptop instead if he really needed to.

Saki Konishi had returned to the TV world for some time a few days after her rescue since her illness had gotten worse once again. Yosuke and Souji had wandered through the other world together with her for a while, but once it became obvious that the Shadows only attacked the two men while leaving Saki completely alone, both of them returned home and let Saki walk towards her `sanctuary´ - as she called it - alone to rest up there.

Naoto started holing herself up inside her lounge more and more the closer the exams were, with it returning her crankiness to some extent once again, but always followed by a quick apology from the tired-looking detective. It seemed the Shirogane familiy's pride was so great that she couldn't allow herself to get anything else than top grades, even if she actually didn't want to study at all. However, it seemed is if there was more than just studying going on inside Naoto's lounge since Rise told Souji during dinner in the cafeteria one day that Naoto would only use studying as an excuse to meet Kanji in her lounge in secret. The teenie idol swore loudly on everything she had that she had heard Kanji's voice from Naoto lounge as she had passed it one day, Teddie immediately starting to sing happily about the `finer art of scoring´ inside the cafeteria.

Naoto and Kanji hadn't been amused about this... at all, as one could see on Teddie's gace that had hand and foot prints all over it for hours.

Yukiko had tried to call her parents in Inaba several times, but each time they had just immediately hung up on her. Only one time did she manage to get Kasai-san on the telephone who had whispered to her that the Amagi Inn was currently a complete mess, what with all the candidates that were trying to become the next manager at the moment.

Yukiko hadn't called every since then.

After Saki had returned to the human world about a week later, feeling really resfreshed and healthy, all hell seemed to have broken loose between Chie and Yosuke: No matter where or when Chie saw the music-loving man together with Saki, she always immediately flung herself at Kou with a loud squeal. Yosuke never wasted any time at all to counter by gently combing through Saki's hair or holding her hand.

_`This is worse than kindergarden...´_, Souji only thought whenever he happened to witness one of those outbursts.

_`Sooo much fun~! Want some popcorn, my dear?´_, the voice in his head asked him.

_`Shut it!´_

The closer the exams drew, the more rumours started to go around regarding them. Some students claimed that Professor Takedo had volunteered to pose in the nude for the music courses' exams. Others were completely sure that the only reason that Akihiko Sanada had been appointed as director was so that he could immediately arrest the students that had been caught cheating.

The usual nonsense, so to say...

And since people were already talking about Akihiko Sanada: There was an even an outrageous bet going on about the rumour, specifically when he and the other director Chidori Yoshino would finally be caught doing the matress dance, when they would finally marry, when their first child would be born...

Mitsuru and Junpei were not amused at all by that.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Exams finally arrived one day.

... Professor Takedo hadn't volunteered to pose in the nude, of course...

No, she arrived dressed completely formal that day in the lecture auditorium, accompanied by several serious-looking men and their clipboards who wrote down everything that was going on during the exam. It seemed as if the female professor hoped to use Mr. Bagman's current illness to her advantage and take over as main professor for literature courses by dragging around some officials with her during the next few days.

_`Bagman or Takedo... Dunno which one is worse...´_, Souji thought and sighed while quickly going over the questions in front of him. _`Well, she definitely can't take credit for the questions... Those are definitely made by Bagman...´_, he thought while going over an especially tricky question. No matter how much one might hate the old professor, they just couldn't deny that he knew exactly what he was doing. _`Just like Kashiwagi... She was actually a really good teacher when she wasn't currently busy being such a bitch or going after every male student within a radius of ten miles around her...´_ He sighed as as memories of his former teacher in Inaba also brought back memories about her current residence. "Nanako-chan..."

He winced as he heard one of the officals make an annoyed sound at him.

_`Oops...´_

Kou, Chie, Naoto and Kanji would all be going back to Inaba during the break. Each of them had offered to live at their place during that time so that he could visit Nanako. He had thought about their offer for some time, but had decided not to go in the end. No matter what he did, his uncle Dojima would certainly learn of any visits and would only get more suspicious of him. The situation between them was already bad enough. He didn't need add any more fire to that.

He took as short glance at Yosuke who was still sitting in the front of - this time because of Saki who was sitting there as well, and not because of Souji - and ruffling his hair desperately, probably due to an especially difficult question. The silver-haired Fool had been surprised about Yosuke's decision to stay at the university together with Teddie during the break since he had been sure that Yosuke would use the free time to cheer up his father and help him get over Mrs. Hanamura's disappearance at least a little bit. But as it turned out, Yosuke's father was just too busy - he apparently had started to work like crazy to block out any worries about his wife's disappeance -, and Yosuke himself felt it was far too awkward to return to a house where it would be far too quiet for his his liking. No, he rather wanted to spend time here and support Saki who didn't have any place she could call `home´ and didn't have anywhere to return to.

The way things looked like, the majority of the gang - speficially he, Yosuke, Teddie, Yukiko, Saki, Patty, Fuuka, Rise and Akihiko - would all be staying at the university.

Patty had told him that Hiro would be returning to the Sideu's mansion during the break, however, which made Souji sigh in relief. No matter how much he thought about the crazy student, he just couldn't make any sense of him at all...

_`Don't just sit there thinking about all that useless stuff! Work!´_, the voice in his head suddenly admonised him and brought him back to the present and to the exams that were currently going on.

_`Wow, first time you're actually helpful!´_, the Fool thought as he hurriedly continued to write down his answers.

_`250 yen as compensation.´_

_`... Don't have enough chump change at the moment.´_

_`Oh, I'm sure we can think of something else as compensation, my dear. I'm sure of it~...´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes:**

** T.J: Souji having a girlfriend won't happen in this fanfiction, mainly because everyone wants to see him with someone else. Some love Souji x Yukiko, some want Souji x Naoto, and so on. I want to completely avoid any unnecessary pairing war by not pairing him with anyone.**

** SMT lover: Unfortunately, I can't say anything about Hiro and what Arcana he might get (or if he ever becomes a Social Link) yet. If I did answer it now, it would only cause some serious confusion for people and spoiler stuff. Sorry about that!**


	99. Chapter 97: Dreams and bruises

_**Chapter 97: Dreams and bruises**_

It took exactly one week until exams were over. It felt like an eternity for some people, but for Souji it was over in the blink of an eye. As he had expected, none of the exams for Informatics had been any challenge at all to him, and even Literature which he had taken since he had had to have two subjects had been pretty managable, even though Mr. Bagman's questions had been quite brutal and tricky.

On that late afternoon, when the whole chaos of the exams finally had ended, all students and professors gathered lazily and tiredly on the campus to listen to a rather boring speech of director Chidori Yoshino - Akihiko happily stayed back in the background and only nodded in agreement from time to time - before they all finally were dismissed, semester break having finally begun.

Most of the students just lay down somewhere on the huge campus, the favourite spot the somewhat steep hill that been surrounded by tall tress that had spent nice and cool shadow over the students, until Professor Fujibayashi had been killed and the trees had been burned down, of course. Now the students had to suffer the full intensity of the sun since the new trees that had been planted about two weeks ago were absolutely too small.

"Ah, just wunderful! Exams are finally over and I can enjoy the sun!", Rise sighed in bliss, lying on said hill together with the other and re-adjusting her trendy sun glasses that had been about to slip from her nose.

"Ugh! No, thanks! It could be a little more colder!", Chie groaned theatrically, sitting on Kou's lap. The man's natural warmths made the heat even more unbearable, even though he was fanning air at her with his notepad the entire time, grinning from ear to ear like a complete moron. "I don't think it's just a coincidence I can throw all that ice stuff at enemies with Tomoe. I like it colder." She threw a glance at Yukiko who seemed to be feeling quite happy in all that heat. "Definitely no coincidence..."

"Yes, I understand you beary well, Chie-san! I can't concentrate on my work at all in that heat!", Teddie agreed, pouting.

"Excuse me? _Work_? When exactly did you work?", Yosuke growled at him in annoyance, Saki leaning against his arm in amusement.

"I worked beary hard!", Teddie said and nodded vehemently. "I've leveled up my character fifteen levels in that one week, and I completed un_bear_ably difficult missions! I even managed to _bear_ly recruit the light-_bear_er Helel!"

"*Snrk*!", Yukiko and Patty laughed while Yosuke whacked the blond Shadow on the head for good measure.

"By the way, Rise.", Souji said to Rise who had been talking to Fuuka in the meantime again. "What exactly are you going to do during semester breaks? I noticed that you're the only one who hasn't really told us what she's going to do."

"Oooh, aren't we curious, Senpai!", Rise giggled happy, although without the usual sultry look she always threw at him whenever he spoke to her. It seemed the realization that Souji was only human as well had managed to erase the most of her overly craziness for the silver-haired Fool. "Well, I'll be doing this and that, I guess: I may be going to stay here, but it _could_ happen that my agency suddenly calls and tells me I should do some stage appearances if I have more than a month of free time anyway." She shrugged and turned back to Fuuka who was watched by some students curiously. "By the way, Sensei. Is it okay for you to just spend time with us like that?"

"Oh, yes, sure.", Fuuka who was currently busy applying sun creme to her far too pale skin replied. "University is not like school. It's alright for professors to interact with students outside of their seminars. As long as it doesn't look as if I'm favoring Souji-san and Saki-san - who are both in one of my seminars - in any way, everything is going to be all right." She waved gently at one of the students who were staring at her like she was a wild animal in the zoo. Said student quickly whispered something to his friend before both of them laughed in a quite disturbing way and turned away from the Informatics Professor. Fuuka looked at them for a moment in confusion before she turned back to the rest of the Investigation Team.

Kanji who was sitting together with Naoto in the center of the group could be heard whispering something to the young detective in the meantime.

"... share a lounge, after all.", Souji could managed to hear some of the snippets of the things the man was saying. "... both us are alone in our lounge, 'n, uh... well..."

Naoto who was intently studing the newspapers that she hadn't been able to read until now due to the exams today looked up at him, face a bit puzzled. "... Hm? I am sorry, but what did you say just now, Kanji?", she asked him, apparently having been far too lost in the articles to hear what Kanji had said.

"Uh... Er...", Kanji stammered as he scratched his head. "Uh... Wasn't really important."

"Oh, alright then.", Naoto simply replied and turned back to her newspapers. The slight around her cheeks gave her away, though. She had really heard what Kanji had said to her, but due to her shyness in regards to the far too new relationship between them, she had opted to feign ignorance.

The friends' heads turned toward the lounges moments later when several male students stormed out of them, shouting like crazy, while one of them was extensively waving around pink boxershorts with smiley faces on them, chased by a student that looked about ready to cry.

"Are they bullying someone again...?", Naoto sighed with slight disgust while Fuuka awkwardly stood up to do her duty as professor and reprimand the students that were now running around shouting like little children.

When the students noticed the professor coming towards them, they hurriedly threw away the boxershorts as far as possible, but forgot that material like that wouldn't fly very far.

"Hah, fail!", Teddie laughed happily. "They could have thrown that hundred times farther away with the help of Portals!"

"Por-what?", Patty asked him, confused.

"It's easy, really!", Teddie said and pointed at the ground near the lounges. "Blue Portal over there!" He pointed at the building's roof. "Orange Portal over there! And they'll be on the roof in mere seconds!" He pointed at an inclined surface on the wall. "Shoot the orange portal over there, then let the boxershorts fall through the blue portal from the roof - and ZOOOOM! The shorts'll fly sooo far away that you'll have a beary hard time finding them ever again!"

Patty was still staring at him, as confused as before that explanation, while Yosuke's right eye was twitching rather violently.

"What... the hell are you blabbering about again?", he asked the blond Shadow.

"Well, I'm just thinking with Portals, Yosuke! Just like in the game `Portal´!", Teddie proudly explained.

"Just now you told us that you had wasted your time with that online game! Now you're talking about this crap? What the hell?", Yosuke asked, annoyed.

"Well... whenever my online friend wasn't there, I had to spend my time with something else.", Teddie explained, shrugging.

"Wh-Wha...?", Yosuke started to speak, his angry gaze now turning to Souji who, startled by suddenly being Yosuke's target, backed away a bit. "How many hours per day are you letting him sit in front of the laptop?"

"Uh... Well...", Souji slowly said. With all the hours spend studying for exams, he hadn't really taken any notice of how long Teddie had been playing his games.

Yosuke sighed and sat down back next to Saki. "Maybe he should just move into our lounge...", he mumbled.

"But...", Saki hurriedly said. "... Teddie's decided that he would be living with Souji himself, so... so... uh..."

Chie was throwing dozens of deathglares at her. It was obvious that she was just desperatly searching for a way to stay alone with Yosuke.

"Sa-chan's right! It's far more fun to spend time with Sensei!", Teddie agreed and nodded, opting to not mention the fact that it was far easier to play as long as he liked and to eat as much sugar as he liked in Souji and Kou's lounge. He missed the slightly sad gaze of Yosuke.

"Ooooh yeeeees! Just as much fun as spending soooo much time with Kou-kun who visits Yukiko's and my lounge aaaall the time!", Chie suddenly screamed with fervor and threw herself against Kou's chest, shocking the living daylights out of Fuuka who had just returned with her high pitch. The basketball-loving man looked like he was about to combust.

"Hmm... You're right, Saki-chan. It's much nicer to live in peace and stay with you, all _alone_.", Yosuke suddenly said and threw a glare full of hatred who responded with one of her own glares.

Souji only shook his head to that. _`No matter how this is going to develop... just leave me out of this!´_, he thought, already seeing himself right in the middle of this mess in the future.

"Oh yeah!", Teddie suddenly said, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere. "Do you know someone named Margaret, Sensei?"

Souji and the other stared at him.

"Y... Yes.", the silver-haired Fool slowly replied. "She's a resident of the Velvet Room. But how...?"

"Hmm... So she's a friend?", Teddie asked him.

"Well...", Souji said, cheeks turning slightly red as he remembered the kiss Margaret had given him on his last day in Inaba. "Yes... so to say."

"Oh... Okay then...", Teddie mumbled and curiously watched a bright yellow butterfly in front of him flying around.

"Uh, Teddie...? How..?", Souji tried to speak to him again, but the Shadow had already successfully tuned him out.

The truth was that Teddie had actually had quite a strange dream again last night...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Teddie's dream:

Tons of sugar! A whole sea of it! No stupid Yosuke or Sensei who could take it away from him! Just his, and his alone! And he would slowly savor the taste of it and-

Everything around seemed to suddenly dissipate.

"Nooo! Suuugaaar!", Teddie screamed in shock, but startled when deep yellow fog suddenly started to appear around him. _`What is...?´_

A low laugh of happiness that bordered on madness was to be heard behind Teddie, and as he turned around he could see his friends that were all gethered around Sensei who was slowly standing up from the ground, the laugh coming from him. Slowly and with his eyes wide open in elation the silver-haired Fool touched his own face, studied his arms, his body, and his gaze finally wandered towards Nanako Dojima who stood close to him.

"Big... Bro...?", the young girl hesitantly asked her cousin, as very tired and unhealthy looking Jack Frost in her arms.

"Nanako-chan~...", Souji mumbled with a gentle voice and stretched his arms out toward her. "Come to your Big Bro~..."

A loud scream could be heard as Chie suddenly jumped at Souji and tried to kick him in the back. She shouted in horror when something silvery immediately appeared protectively in front of Souji and threw her back, away from him.

"Chie!", Yukiko shouted and hurried over to her. "Hang in there! I'll heal you!"

"Useless.", Souji mumbled with a hateful sideglance towards the brunette before turning back to Nanako.

"Sen-", Teddie tried to say, but everything around once again dissipated.

He blinked once, and the scenery around him had re-assembled itself, Souji now standing amidst a graveyard, the yellow fog even thicker than before.

"Heh...", Souji laughed while facing a person wearing a black cloak that stood in front of him. "So we meet again, Margaret..."

The person threw her cloak to the side, a beautiful woman with silvery-blond hair appearing underneath it. "Souji...", she mumbled, gaze full of sadness.

"To what do I owe this honour?", the silver-haired Fool asked her, his gaze gloating.

"You know exactly why I am here.", Margaret replied.

"Hmph... Yes, I know indeed.", Souji said, his gaze staring somewhere into the distance. "You want me to switch places with the other Fool, don't you?"

Margaret just looked at him for a moment without saying anything before she nodded. "There is no other way left. You wiped out our pawn, and you killed him as well.", she finally said. "We will use you."

"You would really do that to your old friend?", Souji asked, his crazy laugh back once again.

Margaret reacted lightning-fast: One moment she was still facing the silver-haired Fool, the next moment she was right behind him, swinging at him with her fist with all her might.

Souji's grin only broaned, the silvery something that had thrown back Chie a few moments ago appearing once again and throwing Margaret away from him as well.

"It's useless!", Souji laughed and stared down at Margaret who had sunken to the ground. "It's not like last time! They rest deep within me now, you see! They're completely one with me now! You will have to give it your all if you really want to stop me this time!"

Margaret stood up again, face contorted in fury.

"Well then...", Souji sighed and reached out to something that slowly manifested in front of him. "Let's just get it over with. I have to start from the beginning once again, after all. And it had already taken months to do the first time around. Time is money!"

His eyes flared up yellow as Margaret screamed loudly and stormed towards him...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Present:

The butterfly had landed on Teddie's nose, making the blond Shadow chuckle and sneeze seconds later, effectively chasing away the butterfly.

_`I knew it!´_, Teddie thought as he watched the butterfly fly higher and higher. _`Sensei and that Margaret are __**friends**__! That means that dream was just a stupid nightmare, nothing more! Yeah... I'm sure it was...´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It was the next day, and it brought with it the time for some of the Investigation Group's members to travel back to their family's during the break.

There was a huge chaos in Souji and Kou's lounge since Kou was unable to find the formal clothes he had to bring with him to Tanaba University anymore.

"My family's gonna kill me if I turn up wearing normal stuff!", the basketball-loving man groaned, already nervous enough when he thought about introducing Chie as his girlfriend to his family, as he rummaged around in the closet, in search for those clothes, throwing stuff around - Souji and Teddie's clothes as well - here and there.

He wanted to give his grandmother the very best impression since the old woman would definitely not be happy to be introduced to his grandson's girlfriend of such a normal standing.

As it turned out around noon, Teddie had used some clothes - including the formal ones Kou had been desperately searching for - to make his sleeping berth more comfortable.

After Kou who had completely broken down when he'd seen the completely crinkled clothes had been finally calmed down by Souji, the silver-haired Fool spent the next good hour trying to fix the clothes as good as possible.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It was somewhat foggy when the friends reached the train station from which Souji had departed months ago when he'd reached Tokyo.

Everyone wished each other their goodbye's quite heartily, although Yosuke and Chie were only grumbling at each other.

"Man, I can't wait to see Daisuke again!", Kou happily laughed, Chie answering with a *Snrk* á la Yukiko.

"`Daisuke´, huh? More like `DaisuGAY´, what with the way he's always clinging to you!", she laughed.

Kou immediately opened his mouth to say something to her, but eventually just closed it again and threw a somewhat awkward, forced smile at her before he kissed her on the lips.

Souji was grinning from ear to ear in the meantime as he watched Kanji trying to heave Naoto's heavy suitcase into the train while simultanously asking her to meet his mother during the break. The young detective was just resolutely staring at the the big screen on the other side of the station that announced the daily news, new singles of famous Pop Bands or the serial killer case throughout Japan, trying her best to ignore Kanji as she clung to her suitcase for dear life, wanting to carry it herself, face beet-red.

The Fool's gaze shortly wandered over to Patty who currently saying goodbye to her cousin Hiro as she hugged him. The lunatic student would be spending his break at home together with his snobby family while Patty was staying at Tanaba University.

Hiro and Souji's gaze met for a moment, and Hiro immediately grinned his goofy grin at him before he looked to the side, a little bit uncomfortable. Souji raised an eyebrow as he Hiro suddenly and silently moved his lips for a few seconds before he vanished into the train that departed a few moments later.

Startled by the train suddenly moving, Souji stormed after his friends who were staying here in Tokyo and were already running after the train while waving enthusiastically.

"`Nan´...", Souji mumbled after the train was too far away to follow it anymore.

"... Souji-kun? Did you say something?", Yukiko asked him curiously.

"`Nan´...", Souji repeated again, lost in thought. It was the only part he had understood of whatever Hiro had been trying to tell him.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Hours later found Saki yawning and on her way from the cafeteria where she had just eaten dinner back to her lounge where she expected a still pouting Yosuke who had immediately stormed toward the lounge after they had returned to the university. Seeing Chie and Kou kiss each other before the train had departed had set the music-loving man's mood quite low indeed.

Sighing a bit, the bespectacled student opened the door to the lounge, already thinking of ways to lighten Yosuke's mood, when she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, face beet-red: Yosuke was standing shirtless in front of the closet.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Yo... Yosu...", she was only able to stammer.

Yosuke turned around in confusion, noticed Saki, and immediately tried to put on the shirt he had just taking off again as he let out a loud shriek.

"S-sorry!", he shouted with a far too high voice. "I-I thought you'd be away for a little longer! I-"

But he stopped, eyes huge, when Saki suddenly grabbed his shoulders.

"S-Saki, I don't think w-were quite ju-just ready t-"

"What's... this?", Saki interrupted him as she pointed at Yosuke's right arm.

"... Huh?" Yosuke looked at his arm and realized too late what the student meant. He tried to throw his shirt over the arm, but it was already too late.

"What is this?", Saki repeated, this time more serious, ripped away the shirt and took a closer look at said arm: Starting around the shoulder and ending right above the biceps, Yosuke's skin was completely greenish-black, an absolutely unhealthy-looking combination.

Yosuke looked to the side.

"Yosuke-kun... what is this?", Saki repeated once again, this time with slight worry in her face. She touched said skin on Yosuke's arm, and the music-loving man immediately groaned in slight pain and snatched his arm away from her. "Yosuke-kun..."

Yosuke bit his lower lip while still avoiding her gaze. "It... That...", he slowly mumbled. "It's... started after the training..."

"Training...? You mean the training in that hall of the Kirijo Group you told me about?", Saki asked him.

Yosuke nodded. "When I... When I had regained consciousness after the battle against Hiro... it was already there.", he spoke.

Saki silently regarded the strange colour on the arm that obviously seemed to cause the man quite some pain.

"It's just a minor bruise, nothing serious.", Yosuke suddenly said.

"A minor bruise that's still like this after over a whole month?", Saki replied, doubtful.

Yosuke's gaze wandered to the ground.

"You have to go see a doctor.", Saki said.

"I already did... in secret.", he said. "Two doctors, in fact. Both of them said it was just a heavy bruise that would disappear in time... I..." He finally looked at her again. "Saki... Please, just don't tell the others."

"What? But..."

"Please!", Yosuke said to her. "We've already got enough stuff to worry about with the case and the Shadows and... and everything else! They don't need to go all out into mother hen mode just because of a mere nothing like this!"

"`Just because of a mere nothing like this´?", Saki repeated, slightly agitated now. "But this is-"

"Saki..." Yosuke was practically begging now.

Saki finally sighed after a moment and nodded uncertainly. "All right.", she said. "But... if it gets worse..."

"It won't.", Yosuke promised her.

"As you wish...", Saki mumbled and just stood there for a few seconds before she finally went to the kitchesn to fix a small snack for Yosuke who hadn't been in the cafeteria to eat due to him pouting like a little child, her gaze still fixated on the strangely coloured arm that vanished beneath a fresh shirt the next moment.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: WARNING! Incoming shitstorm in 3 chapters!**

**NazBio: Do you mean Cameos of characters like Ai or Daisuke? If so, then yeah, some may appear throughout the story.**


	100. Chapter 98: Poltergeist

_**Chapter 98: Poltergeist**_

Tanaba University was known for many things: Its high standards in regards to its school system, the really huge campus, the modern yet simply built lounges many of the students lived at, the cafeteria's absolutely abysmal food, and - if a certain Rise Kujikawa had her way - also an especially terrifying poltergeist who loved scaring the living daylights out of beautiful women and thus preventing them to get their much needed beauty sleep.

"I'm telling you! That thing's been screaming the whole night above our lounge for four days now! I can't get any sleep at all!", Rise wailed - now for the fourth day - during breakfast in the now pretty empty cafeteria since most students had left during semester breaks. The food seemed to have gotten even worse than usual since the cook obviously thought she didn't have to give at least her minimal best during the time most of the people were away.

Most of the teenie idol's friends just rolled their eyes while listening to her heated tirades that got louder and louder.

"Just imagine my agency calling today and wanting me to have a stage appearance! My skin looks like Kashiwagi's old wrinkly, smelly tits!"

Yosuke immediately choked on his juice, his head slamming on the table while coughing violently.

"Yosuke-kun!", Saki shouted in panic and started hitting his back a bit too had, marking him squeak in pain.

"How do you know what Kashiwagi's breats look like, Rise-chan? Did you two scoooooore?", Teddie asked, immediately wide awake.

SMACK!

As soon as Yosuke was alright again, he whacked the Shadow's head, like usual.

"Eww! No, thanks!", Rise said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Back when we had that swimsuit competition in Inaba I had to see... `certain things´ when we had to change in that classroom together that are best left completely forgotten!"

"Aww..." Teddie hung his head, a bit disappointed now. He looked up with huge eyes, like a little kid having received some candy, five seconds later. "Swimsuits?" He jumped on his chair. "Teddie has a beary great idea! Why don't we all go to the beach?"

The others only stared at them.

"Wh-what?"

"You do know that the next beach is a little bit far away from her, don't you, Teddie?", Fuuka asked him hesitantly.

"But... But...", Teddie started sniffing, puppy dog eyes immediately in action. "I just want to go to the beach and have some fun! Stupid old Yosuke and his parents have only been there once in all those years! I... I..." He stopped talking and started to cry.

"Oh, you poor thing!", Yukiko said to him and sympathy and turned to the others. "We could spend two or three days at the beach for Teddie, couldn't we?"

There was a short skeptic pause before the others nodded slowly.

"Yay! Rise-chan, Yuki-chan, Patty-chan, Fuuka-chan and Sa-chan in their swimsuits!", Teddie cheered enthusiastically.

Yukiko, Fuuka and Saki turned beet-red while Patty and Rise jumped up immediately and whacked the blond Shadow upside his head.

"Hmm...", Souji hummed and looked at Yosuke. "Where's your usual punishment for Te-" But he stopped when he saw Yosuke's look. "... Yosuke?"

"Saki... in a swimsuit...", Yosuke only mumbled dreamily.

"O... kaaay..." Souji hurriedly turned back to the discussion.

"Well, I'd say we'll pass on visiting the beach this year!", Rise growled.

"Definitely.", Yukiko agreed.

"Aww..." Teddie hung his head in sadness once again, Yosuke following his example.

"Y-Yosuke-kun...? What's up?", Saki asked him, worried.

_`Believe me. You don't want to know __**what**__ exactly is __**up**__...´_, Souji thought while ignoring the chuckles in his head.

"So could we please get back to our important topic again?", Rise started again.

"Which would be?", Saki asked her.

"The poltergeist in my lounge."

Souji and Yosuke both groaned audibly.

"This _is_ important! This is a paranormal being we're talking about here after all!", Rise snapped at the two in anger, a cold shower running down her back all of a sudden. "What if the remains of Saki's Shadow have started to roam the university as an undead creature... I... I... need a damn boyfriend already who can take me in his arms, cuddle me close to him, tell me that eeeverything's gonna be perfectly alright and that he'll always be there for me, kiss me all the time and... and... and..." She stopped, gasping as bit, since all those words had suddenly come out of her mouth in about a second, before she sniffed a bit. "And the only men we poor and defenseless women have her to choose from are you guys!" She made an annoyed gesture at Souji and Yosuke who both threw a deathglare right back at her. "I'm sooo looooonely!"

"Hey! What about Teddie?", Teddie immediately protested, pouting.

"... Mascots don't count.", Rise answered, shortly stopping with her crocodile tears, before continuing her performance.

Yukiko looked slightly worried from Rise to the others. "What if those are really the remains of Saki-chan's Shadow?", she asked the others, clearly uncomfortable.

"Oh, come on, Yukiko!", Yosuke said in disbelief.

"Well, I don't hear anything at all at night, and I'm sleeping in the same lounge as Rise-chan.", Patty said, shrugging, and took a bite of her far too sour apple.

"Pshaww! You'd even sleep through an explosion since you're much louder than that!", Rise continued to wail.

Patty stopped chewing immediately and stared at Rise.

_`Uh-oh! Explosion imminent in 3... 2... 1...´_, the voice in Souji's voice laughed.

"And _YOU'RE_ the one whining all the time about how you have to start searching all over for a guy again since Souji-kun isn't your knight in shining amour after all, and that throughout almost the whole night!", the redhead snapped right back at her, throwing the apple back on her plate quite violently while whisking back some of the strays of her hair that had fallen in her face during her talk. "You couldn't have heard anything at all with all your whining the whole damn time! That's also the reason why you're so tired and pissed off, nothing more!" She stood up. "I need some sweets now to cool off!", she grumbled and stomped toward the hallways.

"Why is Patty-chan so angry?", Teddie asked, puzzled.

"W-well...", Saki hesitantly said. "Rise-chan said that Patty-chan would be louder than an explosion when she's asleep. That means she... err..."

"Oooh, I get it! Patty-chan snores in her sleep!", Teddie shouted so loud that everyone in the cafeteria could hear her.

SMACK!

One of Patty's shoes had hit him square in the face.

"*Snrk*..."

"Excellent summary, Yukiko-senpai.", Rise agreed, sighing.

"But... wasn't that a little bit extreme? I mean, the way you two had been screaming at each other?", Yosuke asked.

"Oh, it's the usual squabble between us two. It's always like that. As soon as she's got some sweets and I had time enough to cry a bit, everything's gonna be alright again.", Rise answered, shrugging, and eyed some of the remaining male students sitting in the cafeteria.

"Okaaay...", Yosuke only said to that, before he turned to Souji who was sitting to his right. "Psst! Hey, Partner!"

"Hmm?"

Yosuke threw a short glance at Rise. "Doesn't it bother you?"

"Hmm?"

"The way she's suddenly going after other guys?"

"... Should it?"

"Aren't you two... well...?"

"Nope.", was Souji's simple answer. "I think it's better that way. Honestly, sometimes it had felt like she was completely choking me with all that attention."

"But you never rejected her at all."

"Uh... yeah.", Souji admitted quietly.

To be perfectly honest, back in Inaba he head absolutely enjoyed all the attention he had gotten from Rise. After having been ignored by his parents and everyone else for so long, it had just felt too good to be the centre of somebody else's world to just say that she had maybe been a little bit _too_ pushy. And as it had already been the case with the Social Links, he couldn't just suddenly say `Stop! Don't jump into my lap all the time!´ all of a sudden after he allowed it for so long.

_`We still have much to work out, it seems...´_, Souji thought and sighed.

"So to get back to today's topic...", Rise started again.

"`Weekly topic´ is more like it...", Yosuke grumbled while Saki pacifyingly patted his shoulder.

"What exactly do you hear at night, Rise-chan?", Yukiko asked her.

"Don't spur her on, Yukiko!", Yosuke groaned loudly.

"It sounds as if someone's being tortured and in huge pain." Rise replied, ignoring Yosuke's comment.

Yosuke only rolled his eyes again.

"Tch! If you don't believe me, Yosuke-senpai, then why don't you come over to my lounge tonight!", Rise snapped at him.

"Wh-wh-wh-what?", Saki screeched, pure horror written on her face. "T-t-to y-your lounge? A-a-a-all alone?"

"She didn't mean it like that, Saki.", Fuuka hurriedly said before the bespectacled student started fainting while imagining Yosuke being devour that night by a man-eating sex bomb - which Rise totally was in her imagination.

"But that's actually not a bad idea.", Yukiko suddenly agreed.

"Huh?" Souji looked at her skeptically.

"Well, we could all spend the night at Rise's lounge today and wait for the poltergeist.", Yukiko suggested, suddenly very excited for some reason. "Then we could make sure whether it's really Saki-chan's Shadow or not."

"I don't think that-", Yosuke started, annoyed.

"I think that's a great idea, Yukiko-senpai! At least one of you understand me!", Rise interrupted him, nodding, before staring at the black-haired woman with puppy dog eyes. "Can I move into your lounge?"

"Uh... Huh? Err, no.", Yukiko answered, a little bit dumb-founded by the sudden change of topic.

"Aww...", the teenie idol sniffed before turning all enthusiastic again. "Okay! You're all gonna stay the tonight at my lounge today! I'll show you that I'm not just imagining things then!"

"Hey! When did I ever agree t-", Yosuke started protesting again.

"Okay, okay. Agreed.", Souji sighed.

"Hey!", Yosuke snapped at him.

"At least she's going to leave us alone after that.", Souji whispered to him.

"Oh, I see... Good idea."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

- Garu's Traitor: Poltergeist? WTF? What r u, 12? XD I AM 12 AND WHAT IS THIS? LOOOOOOOOOOL!

Souji sighed while staring at the chat screen of the site `Ai Shiteru´.

_`Yeah, exactly my thoughts... But if it makes Rise happy and we'll finally get some peace and quiet...´_, he thought while typing his reply.

- KnuddelsForever: Well, there's this friend of mine who claims she's hearing something at night, and... well... That's why.

- Garu's Traitor: Me thinks she's just trying to lure u over to her to have sex, Stud Muffin. Don't let ur boyfriend hear that or there's gonna be sum serious trouble in paradise! :(

- KnuddelsForever: A _friend_, not _boy_friend. And no, it's not an invitation to have sex.

- Garu's Traitor: Just let me have my dirty fantasies about u two! X3 I need sum ideas for my yaoi fanfictions after all!

- Garu's Traitor: U sure it's not an invitation to have a Boonga Boonga parrrdyyy?

- KnuddelsForever: Boonga Boonga? o.0

- Garu's Traitor: ...

- Garu's Traitor: Weeeell, if a man loves a woman very, veeeeeery much, his dick is gonna get pretty stiff.

- KnuddelsForever: Okay, okay! I get it already! Stop the M rated material!

- Garu's Traitor: Then the woman's gonna spread her legs reeeeeaaaal wi

- Garu's Traitor: Spoilsport! T-T

- Garu's Traitor: So, u sure? She's just gonna catch u like a fly in her spider's net! IT'S A TRAP, BOY!

- KnuddelsForever: With the rest of my friends in the room as witnesses?

- Garu's Traitor: ORGY TIME! XD

- KnuddelsForever: ...

- KnuddelsForever: I think I'd better go offline now...

- Garu's Traitor: Nooo, don't go off, stud muffin! I'll be a very, veeery good girl from now on! I dun have everyone else to talk to here! T-T

- KnuddelsForever: What about you son?

- Garu's Traitor: He's already n adult and dun visit me at all 'nymore.

- Garu's Traitor: Just me n my 2 female neighbours here who're both meh! -_-

- Garu's Traitor: Both completely frigid, lemme tell ya! One of them is completely boring, the other one hates me to death!

- Garu's Traitor: Oh, and then there's also my cute little watch doggy here, but he's not one for complex discussions, ya know... *sigh*

- KnuddelsForever: Hmm... Doesn't really sound that lively over there.

- Garu's Traitor: Doesn't it? With all that boredom I'd even join u in ur hunt for that poltergeist!

- Garu's Traitor: I AM 12 AND WHAT IS THIS? BWAHAHAHAHA! XD

Souji sighed once again. _`You really can't have a normal talk with that woman...´_

- Garu's Traitor: So how's your _boy_friend doing? Everything alright?

- KnuddelsForever: Hmm... I think my _friend_ is doing fine. He's got a girlfriend now.

- Garu's Traitor: ... Damn. There goes my ultimate yaoi dream. T-T

- Garu's Traitor: And? How's the bitch look like? Does she do a better `job´ than u?

- KnuddelsForever: ... I think I'm really gonna offline now... Bye...

- Garu's Traitor: Awww... :(

*KnuddelsForever went offline*

- Garu's Traitor: See ya soon... Souji Seta of the Fool Arcana...

*Garu's Traitor went offline*

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Around midnight in a certain closet that was built to stow away two student's clothes...

"Ugh! Yosuke-kun, could you please move over to the side just a little bit? It's really cramped in here.", Saki's voice was to be heard of said closet.

"Sorry...", Yosuke's voice could be heard from it next, and some movement happened in there the next moment.

"Ouch! Hey, that's my ass you're touching there, dude!", Junpei Iori growled the next moment inside the closet.

"Eww!", Yosuke screeched, followed by more movement and a loud screech from Yukiko.

"What the hell are you doing here anyway all of a sudden?", Rise's voice could be heard next.

"Well, Fuuka's told me that stuff about the ghost, and so me 'n Akihiko-senpai thought it'd be better to investigate since we're both responsible for maintainig peace at this university and stuff.", Junpei explained with a voice that was supposed to sound authoritarian.

"Don't worry, kids! Ace Detective Junpei Iori is on the case!"

"Oh wow! Ace Detective!", Yukiko repeated, thrilled.

"Uh, Yukiko, I don't think that Junpei-san's really...", Rise mumbled.

"You just wanted to act like a brat again and had to drag me into this with you, Junpei!", Akihiko snapped inside the closet next.

Patty who was lying in her bed, pillows thrown over her head, looked up all of a sudden, clearly annoyed. "Can't you be a little more quiet in there!", she snapped.

The closet was suddenly opened a little bit and Rise glared from inside at her.

"No!", was her simple answer. "And it's your fault if the poltergeist doesn't show up tonight because you're not hiding!"

"That thing's supposedly been here throughout several nights already! And we hadn't been hiding during those nights!", Patty bitched back, rolled her eyes and hid beneath her pillows again while Rise wrinkled her nose and closed the closet again.

"Now, who wants to get na-"

WHACK!

"Don't even think about it, Teddie!", Yosuke snapped, having whacked the Shadow's head again.

"But... But... this whole situation just brings back beary wonderful memories of the day we broke into Kashiwagi's house and had to hide there as well!", Teddie explained, pouting, and crept closer to Rise in the darkness. "Doesn't it, Rise-chan?"

WHACK!

"Yosuke-senpai's not the only one who can do that.", Rise answered after having punished him.

"... Broke into someones house?" Akihiko answered, voice suddenly deadly serious.

"Err...", Souji tried to find an excuse.

"That's right! You're a police officer, Akihiko-san!", Rise squealed moments later. "Oooh, finally a REAL guy!"

"What the...?", Akihiko gasped when something suddenly clung to him violently, that something being Rise, of course.

"Oooh, Rise-chan's clothes smell sooo good!"

WHACK!

"GET YOUR PAWS OFF MY STUFF, TEDDIE!"

A few moments of silence, then there was a quiet, undefinable noise.

"Is... Is that... the... the polter... geist...?", Yukiko asked, scared.

"Oh, that's just Yosuke having fallen asleep.", Saki answered, chuckling.

WHACK!

"YOSUKE-SENPAI! HOW DARE YOU FALL ASLEEP DURING SUCH AN IMPORTANT OPERATION!", Rise barked at Yosuke who squealed in pain after having been hit by the teenie idol.

"... awuuu!"

"What... was that?", Patty suddenly asked from her bed.

"... Huh?", Rise asked from inside the closet.

"... ooww!"

"OH MY FUCKING GOD!", Patty screeched, jumped up moments later and stormed towards the closet against which she started pounding violently. "LEMME INSIIIIIDE!" She practically ripped open the door and jumped into the closet as well.

There were some loud screams of surprise coming from said closet that started shaking violently before it completely crashed to the ground, its pieces flying everywhere.

"Oh shit...", Yosuke only managed to choke out, burried beneath Saki, dozens of clothes and pieces of the closet.

"That's destruction of this university's properties!", Akihiko immediatley shouted, also buried underneath all kinds of stuff and Junpei.

"... awwwwuuuuu!"

"Oh god! What is that?", Fuuka screamed in panic and clung to the remains of the hat stand.

"Patty-chan! Hold me!", Teddie shouted and tried jumping into Patty's lap, only to be punched away by her.

"Hold yourself, perverted bear!", the redhead growled at him and jumped up in horror when she heard the noise again.

"I told you there is something above us!", Rise cried, clinging to Akihiko and nearly choking him to death in the process.

"... eow!"

"`eow´?", Akihiko repeated, choking, and finally managed to get Rise and Junpei away from him. He threw a glance at Souji who nodded, and both of them carefully walked through the room, both stopping at the same time and staring at the ceiling. They looked at each other again and nodded. Akihiko bent down, Souji stepping on his shoulders. Slowly, the young director stood up again, Souji still standing on his shoulders and now staring at the small air shaft that connected each of the lounges. He grabbed onto it and tried to look inside.

A moment of silence in whoch everyone stared at the silver-haired Fool then...

"There's something white inside!", Souji suddenly said.

"White? Is it a ghost?", Rise shouted, panicked.

"No, that's...", Souji began.

"Meow..."

"... a cat."

"... Cat?", Rise asked, perplexed.

"And it looks pretty young and malnourished.", Souji added before dropping back to the ground.

Akihiko stared at the air shaft for a moment, lost in thought, before he slowly turned to Junpei who had been trying to quietly snuck out of the lounge in the meantime.

"Say, Junpei...", the director started in a calm voice, though it had something threatening in it at the same time.

"Y-yes, S-senpai?", Junpei said, voice subdued.

"Didn't I order you a week ago to have a look at the air shafts to make sure that everything's alright?"

"Y-yeah..."

"And didn't I especially tell you to completely close the shaft if you had to be away for a bit during your work since I had found some reports in the university's documents that some racoons had once found their way in there?"

"Y-yeah..."

"So how come there's suddenly a cat inside the air shaft?"

"E-err... Well, you see... I suddenly had to take a piss very badly, and then..."

"JUNPEI!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Three days later found Felix, a white cat with a black spot of fur on his back that looked like a star, sleeping inside Teddie's costume, having become quite attached to the blond Shadow and following him everywhere, still looking somewhat malnourished, but overwhise completely happy.

Yes, Felix thought that everything was currently quite purrrfect.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: WARNING! Incoming shitstorm in 2 chapters!**

**Too lazy to look up who exactly it was, but someone asked if Souji can still summon all of his Personas with the power he got from Margaret.**

**The answer is no, he can't. He already used the bit that Margaret gave him up by summoning Izanagi-no-Okami. This is also stated during the battle against Shadow Ikas in the PC when Souji is annoyed with himself that he didn't use the given more wisely by not immediately summoning his most powerful Persona and thus draining all that power at once. The only way for him to summon his other Personas would be for Margaret to give him some more of that power or for Philemon to finally re-appear.**


	101. Chapter 99: Vacation in Inaba

_**Chapter 99: Vacation in Inaba**_

The Food Court of the Junes store in Inaba nearly looked the same as always, even after all these since the Investigation Team had spent their days discussing the murder case that had been going on at the time. Food of all kinds were being sold, the clerks trying to sell as much as possible, and there was even a play on a small stage to the side for little children from time to time, just like it was currently the case.

Kou and Naoto let their gazes wander towards the stage in boredom while Kanji and Chie were busy studying all the new delicacies listed on the menu.

"Did you finally choose?", Naoto eventually asked the two after watching one of the actors in a chicken costume defeating the bad guys with his his `Cock Pistol´; Naoto had been severely frowning at the naming choice.

"Uh... Hmm...", Kanji only hummed as an answer.

"This steak here looks pretty yummy... But that one, too... Oh man, so many steaks, so short on money...", Chie mumbled, wiping away the bit of drool on her chin that had started forming while gaping at all those different kinds of steaks Junes was now offering. They even had some kind of instant steak ramen now.

Chie was definitely in heaven... if it weren't for not having that much money at the moment to try each and every one of those steaks.

Kou stared at her in the most disgustingly adorable way and lay his hand on her shoulder which she didn't notice at all, too deeply consumed by what the menu had to offered.

"I can pay for things if you don't have enough money.", he said to her.

Chie immediately looked at him. "Really?", she asked excitedly and rubbed her hands happily.

Kou grinned and nodded happily as an answer. He really had to do her something good, and not just because he was her boyfriend now - as in, he really was the only one who believed they were an item now -, but also because she hadn't managed to not kill his grandmother yet when they had met her together. He had really thought the old woman would end up in hospital, especially when she had started groping Chie's hips to check her ability to `produce decent heirs´. But Chie had actually managed to contain herself, and had even smiled pleasently at the old lady.

Dinner finally ordered, the four friends let their gazed wandering through the Food Court, Naoto's gaze stopping at all those Teddie faces everywhere.

While there hadn't been many changes on this floor, this was actually the greatest change: The blond Shadow's grinning bear face was hung up everywhere.

"He's really managed to become this store's mascot.", Naoto said and stared at one of the clerks who was dressed up as Teddie in his bear costume, carrying around several differently coloured balloons in one paw.

"Yep. The kids love 'im. And he always manages to crack up the teenagers whenever he trips and crashes to the ground or breaks something expensive.", Kou agreed, also looking at said clerk. "Wonder who's dressing up as him while he's staying in Tokyo."

The friends' gazes and the clerk's gaze met for a moment, and for a short second it seemed like the person behind the costume was analyzing, before they hummed happily and ran after some chuckling kids to give them some balloons.

"Hmm..." Naoto stared after the clerk in thought while sipping some of her ice-cold mineral water.

"Hey! Ain't that Naoki?", Kanji suddenly said and pointed at a young pale-skinned man who was trying to get through the thick crowd without dropping the larger cardboard box he was carrying.

"Yeah. As far as I know, he's cooperating with Junes now.", Kou said, shrugging.

Naoki Konishi did indeed regularly deliver products of the Konishi store to Junes. Instead of continuing to fight against the `archenemy Junes´, he had started to sell those rather headstrong things he was always creating - that eau de toilette that was based on ethanol was one of his more harmless creations -, and really, the big store had shown great interest in the things Naoki had started to create. With the money earned from working together with Junes future of the Konishi family was more than safe.

"Huh... There definitely sum strange things in the world...", Kanji only said to that.

"I think it was a rather strategically good decision.", Naoto opined and nodded wisely.

"*Snrk*...", Chie chuckled before smacking herself. "I think I've been spending _too_ much time together with Yukiko..."

"Speaking of Yukiko-senpai...", Naoto started hesitanty. "Chie-senpai, have you... been to the Amagi Inn by now?"

It had already been a week since they had arrived back in Inaba during their semester breaks.

Chie sighed. "Nope, not yet.", she answered. "And I honestly don't really know what I'm supposed to say to Amagi-san, ya know. I mean, it's partly my fault that Yukiko's left and gone to Tokyo to study. I've pretty much pressured her to come as well. And I... just don't know how to mend things between her and her mother."

"Well, I think the only one who can really do that is Yukiko herself.", Kou opined.

"I know...", Chie said miserably. "But... just look at her! She still can't tell us what's really bothering her! Otherwise she would have long gone with us into the TV world again if she wasn't scared of her Shadow appearing anymore!"

Naoto looked to the side, depressed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Naoto!", Chie hurriedly said, having forgotten that Naoto was also unable to enter the TV world now.

"It's alright...", the young detective mumbled and looked up when Kanji lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, smiling just the tiniest bit.

"Oh man, where the hell's that doofus?", Kou said the next moment, trying to get away from that depressing topic as best as possible.

"Who? You mean Daisugay? Don't worry, he'll come soon enough.", Chie said and rolled her eyes as she remembering how Daisuke had practically jumped into Kou's arms in sheer joy.

"Well, ain't that gay, now is he?", Kanji said. "Got a girlfriend 'n all that, after all."

"And what a pair those two make!", Chie laughed in bemusement.

"Well, just as surprising as the combo we've met at Nanako-chan's house today.", Naoto said.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The four friends had finally visited the Dojima's house today, around noon, where they had been greeted by a slightly drunken Kashiwagi at the front door who had first checked whether Souji Seta was among them or not, before she had let them in. It seemed Dojima had strictly forbidden her to let the silver-haired Fool enter the house.

They had ben greeted by an absolutely ecstatic Nanako quite loudly inside who had hugged each of them tightly before quickly returning to the cooking center where she was currently preparing lunch together with Hanako Ohtani - who was apparently teaching her how to cook - and Ai Ebihara who was really more of a hindrance in the kitchen than anything else.

Chie and Ai had immediately thrown hateful deathglares at each other which had only intensified when Nanako had offered the four friends to help preparing the lunch as well.

The way things looked like they had arrived just at the right time since the amount of food Hanako had prepared was truly colossal. Not even the rather plump woman who had managed to finally lose at least a little bit of weight would have been able to eat all of that.

The moment the giant pot full of food - Kou and Kanji had had to work together to even manage carrying it over to the kitchen table - was finally on the table and everyone could fill their plates, Chie and Ai immediately started stealing the best stuff from each other as quickly as possible while Kashiwagi's top priority was sit as clooose as possible to Kou and Kanji who immediately felt quite sick to the stomach due to the close proximity to her.

"Isn't the food I prepared especially for you just deliiicious?", Kashiwagi had asked the completely frozen Kou - not even considering that she hadn't helped at all in preparing said lunch - and force-fed him some noodles with her fork. Kou was far too shocked about the former teacher's behaviour to even react at all. Whimpering slightly, his eyes wandered over to his `girlfriend´, looking for help. Unfortunately, said `girlfriend´ had been far too busy bitching at Ai to notice anything else around her.

The whole spectacle was accompanied by Hanako's loud smacking noises as she refilled her plate time and time again with new food, and Nanako's loud cheering shouts to Hanako to eat more and faster.

"Hmm...", Kashiwagi had hummed and looked deeply into Kou's eyes in what she had thought was quite a sexy way, before her gaze had turned slightly thoughtful. "Strange... I could have sworn your eyes had been yellow the last time I'd seen you, Ichijo-kun."

"Err...", Kou had only managed to say, his face having turned slightly green now.

Naoto had stared at the former teacher with slight confusion before she had realized that Kashiwagi was somehow starting to remember about her meeting with Shadow Kou in the TV world. She had hurriedly tried to find a new subject in order to prevent Kashiwagi from remembering other things of that fateful day when there had suddenly been a loud rumbling noise coming from Nanako's room, dozens of utsenils being thrown out of said room and falling right into the living-room seconds later.

"Ugh! Not the neighbour's cat again!", Kashiwagi had sighed loudly and stood up to check how much damage had been done in Nanako's room this time.

"Neighbour's cat?", Kanji had Nanako.

"Uh... yeah...", the twelve year old had said quite hesitantly, her gaze shortly wandering to the side.

Naoto, her gaze following hers, spotted something grinning and lying on the ground that had apparently been thrown out of the room as well.

"Oh, isn't that...", the young detective had mumbled while walking toward that something - Jack Frost -, picked it up and brought it over to the table. "That's the Jack Frost doll Souji-senpai had bought you after you had finally been allowed to leave the hospital." She had looked at Nanako and startled when she'd seen the completely shocked look on Nanako's face. "... Nanako-chan?"

"But... But... only Dad and me had seen him until now...", Nanako had only been able to stammer. She had looked at Hanako who had been far too busy eating everything alone to notice anything else around her, and then to Ai who had been too absorbed into her bitching with Chie.

"What're ya talkin' 'bout, Nanako-chan? We'd picked that thing together with Souji-senpai back then! 'course we've already seen it!", Kanji had said, amused.

"Err... Yeah... Of course...", Nanako had stammered as an answer, grabbed Jack Frost and brought him back to the room from which Kashiwagi had been returning the same moment, cursing about the neighbour's cat.

Having returned to the living-room, Nanako had nervously played around with her clothes while barely eating anything at all.

"Speaking of Big Bro...", she had finally said.

"Nanako-chan!", Kashiwagi had immediately reprimanded her, but had quieted almost instantly when she'd seen Nanako's miserable puppy dog eyes. She had sighed and nodded, giving in.

"Big Bro... is staying in Tokyo... isn't he?", Nanako had continued.

"... Yes.", Naoto had answered after a moment of silence.

"Oh..." Nanako had taken another hesitant bite of her lunch.

Even Chie and Ai had stopped snapping at each other and were staring at the twelve year old in pity.

"And... you have to go back in five weeks as well, don't you?", Nanako had continued to ask after a moment.

"Oh, err, no. In three weeks, actually.", Kou had answered.

Nanako had stared at him with huge eyes. "But... summer vacation are six months long!"

"School vacation in summer, yes. But we only get four weeks. And one week is already over.", Naoto had explained to her.

"Oh...", Nanako had only mumbled, her gaze shortly wandering over to her room, her thoughts with all that alcohol she had started to hide in her closet. "Just three weeks left..."

"Aww, don't worry, Nanako-chan! We'll be visitin' ya as many times during that time as possible! 'kay?", Kanji had promised her and looked to the other three who had nodded enthusiastically.

"And your Big Bro will be with us during the next semester breaks, just you wait!", Chie had added.

Nanako had shortly looked quite doubtfully at her before she had managed to force as smile.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Yeah, honestly. Who would've thought that Ohtani and Ebihara would be such good friends now.", Kou said in Junes' Food Court in amusement.

While the friends had remembered the strange lunch they had had at the Dojima's house, their dinner had already arrived at the table, and they were almost finished eating.

"Ohtani and Ebihara? Oh, that's simple. They both have something in common, after all.", a female voice suddenly replied to that.

The four friends turned around in their seats and recognised Daisuke Nagase and his girlfriend Yumi Ozawa who had just now entered the Food Court.

"And what exactly could that be, Ozawa-san?", Naoto asked the former Yasogami High student.

"Slight weight problems.", Yumi simply answered as she sat down at the table together with Daisuke. "Things like that make us women grow closer to each other, you know, Shirogane."

Chie nodded in agreement while Naoto could only sigh deeply, once again reminded about how much she didn't have in common with other females since she didn't quite understand how something as simple as that could make two such different people grow that much closer to each other.

"Hee hee! Still not really femine, are we?", Yumi chuckled, her smile only getting wider as Naoto grumbled at her.

Yumi Ozawa had grown these last six years - and we're not only talking about her height here - so that even the manliest men who were normally used to looking down upon everyone else around them immediately backed away when meeting Yumi.

`She's a tough cookie!´, was what most of her colleagues said said, no matter where she was currently working.

Yumi was still as volatile as ever when it came to her jobs since she wanted to do anything and everything at least once in her life.

Her being part of a social party in Japan was the only constant thing in her life, giving her a sense of fullfillment and giving her the chance to meet other people who had the same revolutionary thoughts as her, one of those people being a certain young teacher named Hidetoshi Odagiri.

"Well, should we go?", Daisuke suddenly asked.

"Yeah, yeah, just a moment.", Chie said and hurriedly ate her last steak as fast as possible under the disgusted glares of Naoto and Yumi.

Kou was completely in heaven as he stared at his angel eating.

"Did you at least decide on a good movie?", Chie asked, smacking her lips.

"Some old alien move, with lots of explosions 'n all that stuff! It's gonna start in about an hour!", Daisuke answered enthusiastically.

"Cool!", Kanji, Chie and Kou cheered in unison.

"Cool...", Naoto and Yumi sighed in defeat.

None of the six friends noticed the Teddie mascot that was watching them leave Junes and head for the cinema behind the grilling stand.

"Hmph...", the person under the costume grumbled and slowly took of the head part. Shoulder long brown hair was revealed underneath it, as hazelnut brown eyes followed the friends' movement. "Why isn't Yosuke with them? He's in Inaba... isn't he?" The person inside the costume, Mrs. Hanamura, stared after the six grouchily before she returned to her current `job´ once again.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Deeply surrounded by thick yellow fog lay the golden seal in which Minato Arisato had once willingly sealed himself away in order to stop humanity from calling out to Nyx. It was exactly at this place which Margaret was currently guarding alone that a rather tall male figure appeared out of nowhere and without warning.

"Margaret...", the figure mumbled and made Margaret look up at him in shook. She looked around in slight panic, before she took of her dark cloak and threw it over the newcomer and herself.

"Theodore, what are you doing here?", Margaret asked him, her voice clearly uncomfortable.

"Master Igor felt that both our sister as well as Hanamura aren't here at the moment so he sent me to you.", the newomer, Theodore, explained.

"I see...", Margaret sighed.

"Where are those two?", Theodore asked her after a moment of silence.

"Hanamura has returned to the outside world in order to get a glimpse of her `son´ since she received some news about him that seemed a bit disturbing to her.", Margaret answered, sounding rather derisive as she spoke the word `son´. "Elizabeth has left to take a look at our defense mechanisms that are supposed to keep intruders at bay. I think the three sister of fate won't be a problem at all, but the other mechanism could be about to lose control..."

"... Jin?", Theodore asked her.

Margaret nodded. "I had been against the decision to use this weak individual at all from the start, but we had no other choice.", she replied. "Someone has to keep Erebus away from here during this operation. We can't constantly battle against that thing since it will always return time and time again."

"I see.", Theodore said and looked at his older sister who looked quite tired in sympathy. "Margaret, Master Igor-"

"Don't.", Margaret interrupted him and turned her gaze to the gate from which she could hear slight knocking again. "... How is your part of the operation coming along?", she finally asked him. "Did you find him?"

Theodore shook his head.

"We're running out of time.", Margaret said. "If we can't find Ebisu in time, then-"

"I know.", her younger brother interruoted her. "Metis and I are doing our best, but we just can't find him."

"And everythin is still proceeding according to how Ebisu once predicted...", Margaret sighed.

"But he didn't predict that you would willently join our sister and Hanamura.", Theodore corrected her.

"Hmph...", Margaret only harrumphed. "I doubt this will mean much in the end... No, the only one who may be able to change things might be Souji Seta, if we can't find Ebisu before the time comes..."

"So, in the end it'll all depends on which path the Fool chooses to tread.", Theodore agreed. "If Seta rejects him, then everything will be lost. But if Seta manages to correct that man's path and get him to grow closer to him..."

"Yes.", Margaret agreed, although quite unsure, and suddenly shuddered. "Elizabeth is returning here! Go!"

She wanted to rip the cloak away from him, but he held onto it with all of his might.

"Margaret, Master Igor is deeply sorry that he had to put this great burde-", he hurriedly spoke.

"Enough! Go!", Margaret growled at him and finally managed to rip the cloak away from him.

Theodore managed to disappear just in time before Elizabeth returned to the gate.

"And? Is everything alright with our `watch doggy´?", Margaret asked her.

"Yes.", Elizabeth replied, sounding tired, and turned to the gate. "It is just like you thought: He can't keep it up by himself the whole time."

"Useless, just like I said.", Margaret agreed. "I'm afraid we'll have to return there from time to time to make absolutely sure he still has things under control.

Elizabeth nearly nodded before taking on her usual guarding position.

Margaret stared at the gate once again from were there still could be heard that knocking that sounded mighty obnoxious to her. _`Theodore! Souji! Do your best!´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Warning! Incoming shitstorm begins with the next chapter!**

**Also, this is probably already old news, but for everyone who doesn't know it yet: Atlus is currently developing a remake of Persona 4 called "Persona 4: The Golden" for the PS Vita, with lots of new stuff, of course. No female protagonist, though.**

**Natzo: I guarantee you that you're about 99 % right about that person, but I'm not gonna mention that name here to avoid spoilers for other people.**

**SMT lover & T.J: The best indicator to see how far we're through the story is to keep an eye on the Fool Social Link which is currently at level 4. It's the only S. Link for which I will always state the current level. The finale of the story begins once this S. Link reaches level 10. With the Link being at level 4 currently, it means that the story is headed towards being 50 % complete.**


	102. Chapter 100: The nightmare begins

_**Chapter 100: The nightmare begins**_

It was about a week later after Naoto, Kanji, Kou and Chie had visited the Dojima's house in Inaba for the first time...

Nanako Dojima who was nervously walking around the house threw a last glance from Noriko Kashiwagi who was sleeping soundly on the couch in the living-room, completely and utterly drunk, to her room where Jack Frost was sleeping peacefully, before she finally grabbed the bag she had prepared this morning, walked towards the front door, quickly opened it and closed it as quietly as possible behind her, the purse with the money needed for a ticket to Tokyo firmly in her hands.

It had really been much easier than the twelve year old had thought: When Kashiwagi had returned home from shopping on this really hot and humid day, Nanako had immediately offered the older nanny some fresh lemonade to cool off a bit. Kashiwagi, sweating profusely, had gladly accepted the offered drink, not knowing that Nanako had added about half of a bottle full of the sweet tasting alcohol she had stashed away in her room in the closet to said drink.

Now already feeling a little bit of the inevitable consequences that alcohol brought with it - but blaming the humid weather on it that was making her feel that way -, Kashiwagi had sunk to the couch, groaning loudly, Nanako already there with the next glass full of `lemonade´, only to refill it a few seconds later.

The twelve year old had felt a little bit guilty when the nanny had finally slurred what a good girl she was before she burped quite loudly and finally collapsed on the couch; all that alcohol had quite efficiently knocked her out.

Nanako had quickly hurried into her room and thrown a glance at the peacefully slumbering Jack Frost before she had grabbed the remaining bottles full of alcohol that she didn't have to use to accomplish knocking out Kashiwagi together with the bag she had prepared, and had headed back into the living-room. The bottles' contents had quickly been drained into the sink, the telephone cable ripped out of the pluck socket, and a blanket finally thrown over Kashiwagi.

Having finished everything she had wanted to do, the twelve year had walked around the house nervously for a bit before finally heading outside.

Only a few minutes after Nanako had left the house, the small grinning snowball named Jack Frost sleepily opened one of his eyes and looked around the room. Not seeing the twelve year old girl anywhere, the small creature slowly sat up and wanted to glide over to the door... well, _wanted_, because the moment the grinning ball jumped into the air, he screeched loudly almost a second later since it crashed to the ground immediately.

Puzzled, the small creature tilted its head to the side and closed its eyes, concentrating. It sensed the drunk Kashiwagi inside the house, but Nanako's presence was nowhere to be sensed. This also explained why Jack Frost wasn't able to glide through the air: Whenever the girl wasn't near him Jack Frost was even weaker than a newborn baby.

Jack Frost groaned a bit as he stood up from the ground again and looked around thoughtfully. It was unusual for the twelve year old not to be home at this time of the day.

Yawning loudly, the grinning snowball climbed up Nanako's writing table, grabbed a drawing pen and began to randomly draw butterflies and small men with long noses on a piece of paper in order to quell its boredom.

When an hour was finally over and there was still no sign of Nanako at home, Jack Frost grew a bit more restless. He jumped down from the writing table, walked over the bed, climbed it up, and from there he jumped over to the doorknob, opening the door.

He walked through the living-room, threw a glance a Kashiwagi who snored quite loudly, and continued onwards to the front door where he stared at the far too high doorknob which he would never be able to reach without flying upwards.

He looked at the hat stand behind him and started climbing it up. Having reached the top, he tried jumping towards the doorknob, but instead crashed to the ground since the knob was just too far away, screeching once again in the process.

Grumbling slightly, the snowball sat up again and aimlessly walked around the house before its gaze landed on the TV in the living-room.

He looked around the house one more time. There was still no sign of Nanako returning.

Looking back at the TV screen, Jack Frost came to a decision and nodded, before he climbed up to the screen and finally dove into it, into the TV world.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Many of the students who were staying at Tanaba University over the semester breaks groaned. Not only because of the hot weather these days, but also because a certain Literature Professor named Yosufu Bagman was finally completely healthy again and had returned to the university to make sure that everything was `peaceful and civilized´ even during the break, as he himself said.

Restoring peace to the university also meant for the professor to immediately have a big argument about the cat Felix who had been living together in Souji, Kou and Teddie's lounge for a week now with Akihiko inside said lounge. The young director had allowed the animal to stay inside the lounge which immediately made him the main culprit to Mr. Bagman who complained about how much the cat would just distract his students from getting any learning done at all.

In the end Akihiko had managed to get his will by promising the old professor that the cat would immediately leave the university if he brought any kind of disturbance into the students' lives. Felix seemed to really grin at Mr. Bagman's defeat, whereupon the old professor mentioned that he had heard somewhere that cats were considered a great delicacy in some foreign country.

Felix' tail immediately stood upright like an antenna, even more bushy than usual.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Later that day, the friends who had stayed at Tokyo were enjoying their evening in one of the discos in the city. The loud sound seemed to make any normal conversation immpossible, although conversation wasn't really needed since Yosuke and Saki were far too busy staring at each other like love-struck baboons while Rise was on the look-out for a potential male victim she could pounce on, Yukiko and Patty were laughing over some random things, Teddie was drinking one cocktail full of sugar after another, and Souji was just watching his friends. If he had been one of those 08/15 anime characters, he would surely have one of those oversized drops of sweat on the back of his head now.

Having scanned the area many times for someone hot enough, Rise finally sighed in defeat and took a gulp of her drink. "No potential boyfriend for me here...", she mumbled and made a face as she tasted the lipstick she was wearing. She had especially put on far too much make-up so that nobody would be able to recognize her in the disco since she didn't wanto to spend the evening signing autographs. She didn't have to go through that at the university, thankfully. Yes, some people she didn't know sometimes spoke to her from time to time there, but the news about Rise Kujikawa being at Tanaba University had long since become old news nobody really cared about anymore. "Akihiko-san and Mitsuru-san are really together?", she finally asked loudly after having wiping away most of the lipstick.

"Well, as far as I know from Yamagishi-sensei, those two are engaged.", Souji answered her, trying his best to drown out the loud music.

"Hmm... Guess I'll have to ask her tomorrow! Too bad she didn't come with us today...", the teenie idol sighed, pouted for a moment, and then started tapping her feet to the music's beat before she raised one of her eyebrows at all of those empty cocktail glasses that were beginning to pile up on Teddie's part of the table. She looked at Yosuke who would have normally stopped the blond Shadow by now, but was just to busy staring at Saki to notice anything else around him. She looked at Souji who followed her gaze and rolled his eyes.

"Um, Teddie...", he began slowly.

Teddie immediately turned around to the silver-haired Foo, needing a few seconds to fully focus on Souji.

"Don't you think you've had enough by now?"

Teddie only continued to stare at him, a broad grin starting to spread on his face. "Suuugaaar!", he shouted happily, grabbed Yosuke's cola bottle without asking and drained the contents in one go, although some of it spilled onto the table and over onto Yukiko's skirt.

Immediate dead silence among the friends...

"*Snrk*... Ahahaha! Hahahaha! Tee hee hee!", Yukiko started laughing, the others staring at her in disbelief. Teddie started snickering as well, although seconds later Yukiko suddenly stopped and whacked Teddie upside the head with her purse, effectively knocking out the Shadow who fell to the ground, under the table.

"O... kaaaay...", Yosuke only said to that before hurriedly turning back to Saki.

Patty used that chance to steal some of the blond Shadow's cocktails for herself.

About ten minutes went by before Teddie finally appeared from under the table once again - he had needed five minutes to regain consciousness, the other five had been spent to stare under the women's skirts, especially Patty's.

"OKAY!", he suddenly shouted, grabbed the now empty cola bottle and violently hit the table with it. Fortunately, neither the glass table nor the bottle broke. "TRUTH OR DARE!"

The conversations stopped once again, and everyone just stared at the Shadow in bewilderment.

"... What?", Saki only asked.

"TRUTH OR DARE!", Teddie slurred again and ordered some more alcohol. "And whoever can't answer the question or can't do the dare, has to drink a glass full of alcohol in one go! Bwahahahaha!"

"*Snrk*...", Patty chuckled, now slightly drunk due to the drinks she had stolen from Teddie.

"Err..." Yosuke looked a bit uncomfortable now.

"TRUTH O-"

"Okay, okay! We get it already!", Rise growled at him. "Why do you even want to play a stupid game like that?"

"King's Game was sooo beeeaaary funny! So I thought that maybe we could do something like that again!", Teddie chuckled as an answer and held onto the table just in time before he fell to the ground.

Souji sighed. "Is it just me or do such idiotic ideas always arise each time one of us is completely wasted?"

"... King's Game?", Rise asked into the round, confused.

The others just stared at her, sighing in annoyance. While Yukiko and Teddie had managed to somewhat remember the events in Club Escapade from years ago, it seemed Rise didn't remember anything about her suggestion to play this disastrous game.

"Okay! Here we go!", Teddie shouted, not even waiting for anyone to agree, layed the cola bottle onto the table and started spinning it so violently that it would have crashed onto the ground if Patty hadn't managed to grab it despite being drunk already. "Oooh! Looks like Patty-chan's our first contestant!"

"*Snrk*... Looks like it!", Patty chuckled, amused.

"Truth or dare?", the blond Shadow asked her, swaying from side to side despite the fact that he was clinging to the table with all his might.

"Can I `Ask the Audience´ first?", Patty asked instead and chuckled once again.

"Uh, I don't think this is like `Who wants to be a Mi-", Yukiko started to say.

"Just forget about this!", Yosuke snapped into the round. "Patty, you don't have to answer him! This is just stu-"

"Truth!", Patty interrupted him gleefully.

The others just rolled their eyes.

"With whom do you want to scooooooooo-"

WHACK!

Yosuke had immediately whacked the blond Shadw up the head without batting an eyes.

"Okay, that's really taking things too fa-", Rise angrily started, but was interrupted by Patty.

"Definitely Souji-kun.", Patty simply answered as if she had just been asked what she wanted for lunch, and took another sip of one of the cocktails.

"HEY!", Rise growled while Souji's face turned red.

"I thought you didn't want Souji-kun anymore?", Yukiko asked her curiously.

"Well, I still have to keep someone in reserve if I can't find my one and only.", Rise simply replied.

_`What am I, a piece of meat you can just buy at the butchery?´_, Souji asked himself, disbelief clearly written all over his over.

"It's my turn now! It's my turn now!", Patty cheered, excited like a little child, and mouth still full of her drink so that some of it spilled on the table. She enthusiastically grabbed the bottle and started spinning it.

It stopped at Souji this time.

_`Uh-oh...´_

_`Have fun, my dear!´_, the voice in his head chuckled.

"... Truth.", he finally mumbled after some hesitation.

"Did you have sex already?", Patty asked hime while leaning over the table as far as possible.

If the friends had thought that Souji's face had been quite red just a few moments ago, they now learned that it could even take on a far more extreme red colour as the silver-haired Fool quickly grabbed a glass fill of alcohol and drained it in one go, face burning like crazy.

"OOOOH MY GOD!", Rise screeched all fangirl-like, making Souji wish he could disappear into the ground. "SENPAI! YOU'RE SUUUUCH A PLAYER!"

Having emptied the glass so fast that he had to cough violently, Souji hurriedly grabbed the bottle and started spinning it, hoping that the newly chosen person would divert everyone's attention from him. Of course, a more extreme question would certainly help.

The bottle stopped at Yosuke.

"... Truth.", Yosuke grumbled, crunching with his teeth.

"Lolicon or not?", Souji asked, trying as hard as possible not to grin.

WHACK!

Before he screamed a loud `NO!´ at him, Yosuke was sure to whack the silver-haired Fool's head as hard as possible.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A day later...

"Whoooaaaa...", was Nanako's only comment, as she stood at the entrance gate of Tanaba University and stared at the huge buildings that surrounded the campus. "What a huge university this is..." She let her gaze wander over all those people wandering around everywhere, even though semester breaks were still going on.

_`I wonder if I will be even able to find Dad or Big Bro...´_, she thought, now a little bit discouraged, before she shook her head in determination and took a step over the entrance. The moment her foot connected with the ground behind the entrance gate, her whole body suddenly went rigid.

"What is...?", Nanako managed to gasp out before she sunk to the ground, her head feeling totally dizzy, a wave of nausea overcoming her. _`There was something terribe here... but not anymore... What...?´_

Several students stared at her in confusion as to why such a little girl was suddenly at their university. Was she a student's little sister maybe?

"I...", Nanako managed to choke out. The horrible feeling started spreading out more and more inside her body. She just wanted to close her eyes and hope that it stopped already.

"Hey. Hey!"

The twelve year old looked up and noticed in her half asleep state a man with silver hair who was now kneeling in front of her.

"Big... Bro?"

The man shook his head. "No. My name's Akihiko Sanada.", Tanaba University's director Akihiko Sanada who had noticed the slight comotion on his way over to the office said to her. "What's wrong, young lady? What are you even doing here?"

"I...", Nanako began again, too tired by this completely uncomfortable feeling to really understand what the man was asking her.

Akihiko only continued to stare at her. _`Hmm... Haven't I seen her somewhere...?´_, he thought before he suddenly remembered seeing her face on a photo.

_- Oh, just the cute little daughter of my younger sister. -_

The words Mr. Bagman had spoken to him months ago resounded in his mind together with the memory of that photo. (Author's notes: Chapter 25!)

"Oh, I see...", he said, gently grabbed Nanako's hand and helped her up. "Here to see your uncle, huh? Well, I get you to him."

Nanako merely stared at him, still not able to grasp anything the man was saying to her with her completely tired mind, as he led her into the building, directly towards Yosufu Bagman's office...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: The Nanako & Bagman Arc has begun...**


	103. Chapter 101: Bagman's first victim

_**Chapter 101: Bagman's first victim**_

Kanji was on his way to Aiya when he suddenly looked up at the sky that got darker and darker, lost in thought, and sighed deeply.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

This morning Naoto had suddenly stood in front of his house, and while the muscular man had only been able to stand at the entrance door in panic and tried explaining to his mother that Naoto was now his girlfriend, the young detective had already grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs to his room.

"E-err...", Kanji had only been able to stutter, Naoto having sat down on his bed and shortly looking around the - thanks to Kanji's cleaning obsession - clean room. "... W-want something to drink?"

Naoto had directed his attention back at him. "No, thanks.", the young detective had answered him, looking around the room another time as if expecting something to jump at her the next moment, and back to Kanji. "Please sit down, Kanji-kun."

"Y-yeah.", Kanji had said to that and had literally crashed to the ground in his haste to do what Naoto wanted him to do. "S-so... Uh..."

"I really needed to talk to you alone. And without anyone eavesdropping.", Naoto had started to explain.

"O-oh?"

Naoto had looked around the room one final time before she had said: "I know who the culprit is who's been throwing people's souls into the TV."

Due to him still being completely shell-shocked about Naoto's sudden appearance at his house, Kanji had needed a few moments to process what his girlfriend had just told him. "What? Really?"

Naoto had nodded, face very serious. "Yes. Ever since we saved Saki-san, I am 100 per cent sure of it.", she had answered.

"Alright, let's go 'n take down that asshole!", Kanji had immediately shouted and jumped up, only to stare at her in confusion seconds later. "... Wait a sec! You've been sure ever since we saved that Saki girl? Then why didn't you say somethin' before...?"

"Because I want to wait.", Naoto had answered him. "Do you remember what happened when we had accused Saki-san just like that? What did that lead to in the end?"

"Oh..." Kanji had slowly said down again. "But yer really sure you know who did it?"

Naoto had nodded. "Even though the culprit has planned all of their actions quite meticulously, they've said too much in the end.", she had answered. "In all of the discussions we've had I've slowly managed to filter out that it can only be that person. I also managed to somewhat find the culprit's motive. The only thing missing is good enough proof so that we can catch and convict the culprit."

"'n that's why yer gonna wait?"

Naoto had nodded again. "Most often criminals give themselves away when they think that nobody is going to find out about them. The more we let the culprit think that we don't know who did all those thinks, the more confident they will become, and the more mistakes they will make in the end.", she had explained and then sighed. "However... I can't always be everywhere. And that's why I need someone who knows the culprit's identity, Kanji-kun."

"Oh?", Kanji had hummed questioningly before he had understood what she meant. "Oh, I get it!" He had leaned over to her conspiratorial. "And? Who's the culprit?"

"The culprit is..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A car's honking made Kanji resurface from his thoughts. He looked around and noticed that he had already passed Aiya several moments away.

_`Just "grin 'n bear it", as Teddie'd say, ey...?´_, he thought while entering the chinese diner. _`Never been one o' my fortitudes... Dunno if Naoto's chosen the right guy. Still...´_

His heart started to beat a little faster when he realized that the fact that she had chosen him and not someone else - specifically Souji - showed how much closer they had grown. His slightly complacent grin made everyone inside the diner back away from him in horror as far as possible.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Mr. Bagman, hovering over several documents and and old and worn diary, looked rather surprised when Akihiko Sanada entered his office shortly after knocking at the door, together with a rather sick-looking Nanako Dojima.

"... Sanada-san?", Mr. Bagman asked, puzzled, the pen in his hand nearly falling to the floor in shock, and stared from Akihiko to Nanako and back. His eyes slightly turned to slits a moment later.

_`Did he find about my plan?´_, the old professor asked himself while standing up from his working table with a slight groan, grabbing his cane and hobbling over to the two.

"Good day, Bagman-san.", Akihiko greeted the old man, crunching his teeth slightly. He didn't really like leaving a little girl alone with him, but the professor was her uncle after all. He couldn't do anything against it that way. "As you can see, your niece apparently the idea to visit you. From the look on your face I assume you didn't know about this?"

"I... well...", the old professor started to speak and thew another hasty gaze at Nanako who was staring up at him with almost completely closed eyes. _`Niece?... Oh yes, that's right! ... Hah, who would have thought that petty lie would prove to be this useful in the end!´_

"Um...", Nanako suddenly groaned, having managed to fight away that devastating feeling inside her as good as possible now.

"Kotonami-chan! How nice of you to visit your poor old uncle once in a while!", Mr. Bagman hurriedly interrupted her quickly and knocked on the ground with his cane as if to emphasize his happiness.

"Um... Hmm...", Nanako hummed and nodded slowly, her eyes getting glassy and unfocused the moment Mr. Bagman's cane hit the ground.

"Although you didn't talk about this with your mother, did you?", Mr. Bagman asked her, eyebrow slightly raised.

"I... sorry...", Nanako mumbled as an answer, face turned to the ground.

Mr. Bagman sighed and shook his head. "The unreasonable things children do sometimes, really..." He knelt down in front of the twelve year old, a hand on her shoulder, while the other hand clung to the cane like a life line. "You've probably already heard about it, my little one, but there's a really bad man running around outside. Who knows what he would do to you, if you ever met him."

"Sorry...", Nanako only repeated, still mumbling.

"Well, I'm not really angry with you, my little one.", Mr. Bagman said and patted her hand. "After all, it makes your uncle Yosufu quite happy to see his niece again!" He stood up again and turned to Akihiko. "Thank you for bringing her hear, Sanada-san. I think I'll be working just a little bit more before I start walking home with Kotonami-chan. Is that alright with you?"

"... Sure. Semester break's still going, after all.", Akihiko agreed and had thrown a last glance at Nanako before leaving the office.

The moment Akihoko had left the office, Mr. Bagman's happy and fatherly look changed to once full of malice and disgust. "Fool...", the old professor said and hobbled back to his seat. He put away the documents and turned his attention to the diary. A short knock on the ground with his cane, and Nanako wandered over to the uncomfortable wooden chair on the other side of the working table, sitting down.

"Well then...", the old professor mumbled, opened the diary and started working.

_`If I had known, I would get __**this**__ lucky and didn't need to kidnap her, I would have rather continued to work on unlocking every seal in this damn book than return to university earlier than planned!´_

He sighed deeply. No matter how much he despised his original and his life, he still loved the subject Literature and literature itself, just like his original had. He loved to spend rainy days reading a good book in his bed or reading throw a sunny day on the terrace of his house. Books were his only true friends; they couldn't betray him or cheat on him like all those little annoying pests that always tried cheating during the exams.

The old professor's body shuddered when he thought about the exams that had taken place a few weeks ago. Due to his illness that he had faked in order to spend all of his free time with the diary, he had had to let that disgusting woman take over for him!

That woman was also the reason why Mr. Bagman had returned before completely unlocking the whole diary: He just couldn't bear watching that Takedo woman disgrace his beloved subject any further!

He shortly looked up from the diary, happily noted that Nanako's gaze was still unfocused, and turned back to the book again.

_`But it really __**is**__ strange that she so happily followed Akihiko here...´_, he thought while working steadily. _`Now that I think about it, she didn't look all that healthy to begin with when she arrived here. ... Hmm...´_ He looked at Nanako again. _`Could it be that she felt the last remaining vibrations of the circle's aura that are still lingering around here?´_ He shook his head. _`No. Even Yamagishi can't sense that. If it really would be the case, then the girl would be an even greater sensory type than Kujikawa, Yamagishi and Adachi together!´_ He looked at the office door. "Speaking of Yamagishi..."

Mr. Bagman quickly knocked on the ground with his cane once again.

_`You just try and sense me now, Yamagishi brat! Hah!´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

At the same time a weakly crying Kashiwagi was left no choice but to listen to Dojima shouting at her in fury on the phone, calling her all kinds of things.

"I-I'm so-", the older nanny stammered while walking around Nanako's room in panic.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU! JUST FIND OUT WHERE MY DAUGHTER IS!", Dojima barked at her on the other side of the line, making Kashiwagi almost wet her pants in fear. "SO WHAT EXACTLY'S WRITTEN ON IT!"

The nanny hovered over Nanako's working table for the umpteenth, staring at a piece of paper on which had been written something by the twelve year old. "I...", Kashiwagi slowly began and tried to decipher what Nanako had written, although with no sucess since somebody had apparently taken some delight in covering the piece of papers with doodles of butterflies and grinning men with long noses. It was just impossible to read Nanako's message with all those drawings on it.

"JUST FORGET ABOUT IT!", Dojima yelled at her. "I CAN ALREADY IMAGINE WHERE SHE WENT!"

"Y-you can...?", Kashiwagi stammered.

"YOU LOOK AROUND INABA FOR HER! I'M GOING TO DRIVE TO TANABA UNIVERSITY RIGHT NOW!"

"T-to Tanaba Uni-", Kashiwagi started to ask, but Dojima had already hung up on her.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Mr. Bagman was slightly startled when someone knocked at the door to his office once again.

"Who's there?", the old professor asked and looked up from his work.

"It's me, Bagman-sensei!", Souji Seta called from the other side of the door.

Mr. Bagman's eyes widened when Nanako's hands that she had folded on the table suddenly started shaking. Hurriedly the professor knocked on the ground with his cane, the floor swallowing up the twelve year old seconds later.

"Oh, Seta! Come on inside!", Mr. Bagman answered, shoved the diary into a drawer and instead opened one of his documents, pretending to have been working on it all this time. "And to what do I owe this visit?", the old man asked after Souji had entered the office and sat down on the same chair his cousin had been sitting on just moments ago.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure that Sensei is really alright.", Souji answered. _`And see if I can't get something out of you.´_, he thought at the same time, remembering Igor's words about all of the answers were there, he just had to speak with the right people.

"That is very nice of you, my dear. But you did see me yesterday inside your lounge, so you should know that I am quite healthy again.", Mr. Bagman replied.

"That may be so, but I know that Sensei is quite the workaholic, and I thought that maybe you have returned despite still being sick.", Souji admitted.

Mr. Bagman raised an eyebrow in question.

"I assume your family has taken care of you while you were sick?", the silver-haired Fool asked the old man after a moment of silence, not really knowing how he should manage to get to the actual question he wanted to ask, especially since the old professor seemed like he wasn't in a particular talkative mood right now.

Mr. Bagman raised the other eyebrow as well. "My dear, those are things I'd rather not talk about with one of my students. Too private, you see.", he finally answered and turned back to his documents. "So if there is nothing else you want to talk about with me, I'm afraid you-"

"But you've told me about your uncle back then who apparently looked like me.", Souji interrupted him.

"My uncle?", Mr. Bagman repeated, slightly confused, and stared at Souji. "... Oh, you mean that!" _`Ignorant Fool... Have you still not realized why I told you about that...? Are you that hungry for Social Links that you've become this blind?´_, he thought at the same time. "Well, sometimes even I do some foolish things. But now I really want you to leave, Seta."

Souji started to speak again, but thought better of it a moment later. If he really wanted to get some information from the old professor, he apparently would need to wait until the man was in a better mood.

"Have a nice day, Sensei.", Souji finally said, stood up from the chair and left the office.

Nanako re-appeared on the same chair seconds later.

"Oh, I think it will be a quite nice day for me today, my dear.", Mr. Bagman said while staring at Nanako. "Quite a nice day indeed..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Chidori Yoshino jumped up in surprise when the detective Ryotaro Dojima stormed inside her and Akihiko Sanada's office without knocking, Akihiko looking just as startled.

"Dojima-senpai, what-", the young director started, puzzled.

"WHERE IS NANAKO?", Dojima barked at Akihiko immediately.

"Whate are you-?"

"MY DAUGHTER! I KNOW SHE'S WITH SETA! WHERE ARE THEY?", Dojima continued to yell.

"Just try to calm down first!", Akihiko shouted back at him. "I've just met Seta who was on his way to our Literature Professor! And what's this about your daughter?"

"My daughter's run away from home!", Dojima continued to shout, thankfully this time much quieter than before, while rummaging around in his jacket. "The only reason why she would have resorted to drugging her nanny is to visit her cousin!" He took out a photo of Nanako and shoved it at Akihiko.

"That's...", Akihiko started and looked at Dojima in confusion. "... Are you and Bagman-san related?"

"Huh? What are you... I don't have time for this crap! Did you see her or not?", Dojima growled.

"You and him are not related?", Akihoko only continued to ask.

"No! I don't know any Bagman or whoever!", Dojima yelled at him.

Akihiko stared at him, mouth suddenly completely dry.

"WHAT?", Dojima snapped at him.

Akihiko stormed out of the office.

"H-hey!", Dojima shouted and ran after the young director who stormed through corridors like crazy, jumped down several stairs and finally violently opened the door to one of the offices.

"BAGMAN!", he yelled and looked around the literature professor's room which was completely empty, though.

"What's going on here?", Dojima asked him, out of breath now due to trying to keep up with the much younger Akihiko.

"Dojima-senpai...", Akihiko slowly started, panic rising up in him more and more. "I... I think the serial killer has just kidnapped your daughter..."

Dojima's face instantly turned as white as a blanket.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The students that were currently on Tanaba University's campus stared in disbelief at a happily whistling Mr. Bagman who was walking side by side with a little girl - Bagman and being nice to a little girl? - over the campus, towards the darkness of the forest near the university.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Souji and his friends who had gathered in Fuuka's office to think of a way to get some information out of Mr. Bagman all looked up in surprise when Akihiko suddenly stormed inside the room.

"Akihiko? What's wrong?", Fuuka asked him with slightly worry in her voice as she noticed his pale face.

"Bagman has just kidnapped Nanako Dojima!", Akihiko managed to barely speak.

"What?" Souji had immediately stood up from his seat, the voice in his head suddenly laughing like crazy.

"I... He...", Akihiko stammered, looking from side to side.

"Akihiko, just calm down first and sit down!", Fuuka pleaded with him and shoved him on her seat before she summoned her Persona and started to scan the area for Mr. Bagman.

"Bagman... He... he'd shown me a picture of Nanako Dojima months ago and said it was his niece... I investigated... And he really does have nieces.", Akihiko stammered. "She... She'd arrived here just a while ago. I've... brought her to him. He... Oh god..."

Fuuka's Persona disappeared.

"Yamagishi-sensei?", Souji asked her, voice desperate.

Fuuka shook her head. "I can't sense him anywhere! And since I've never met this Nanako Dojima, I don't know what to search for!"

"Dojima-senpai is already looking for her...", Akihiko managed to croak out.

"Uncle Dojima?", Souji repeated before he stormed outside the office, immediately followed by his friends.

Fuuka stared at Akihiko for a moment before she started running as well. "I'm going to contack Mitsuru-senpai and the others!", she called before she was out of the door completely, leaving Akihiko all alone inside the room.

The young director just said there, stiff as a board, while only only thought went through his head: _`It was me who led her to him! It's my fault! If something happens to her-´_

A wave of nausea overcame Akihiko who immediately held his hands in front of his mouth, barely managing not to vomit all over Fuuka's working table.

"I...", he mumbled and bit his lower lip. He angrily punched the table before he jumped up and stormed outside the office as well.

_`It just can't be!´_, he thought while sprinting through the hallways. _`Is someone going to die again because of my stupidity...?´_

The pocket lighter he had been playing with in front of his sister who had eventually caused the fire by using the lighter flashed before his eyes again, together with the photo he had seen in Mr. Bagman's office.

"Damnit!", he growled as he opened the door to the campus and shoved several students to the side who weren't quick enough to jump away.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"NANAKO!", Souji yelled as he ran through the university's office wing together with Teddie and Rise.

"Nana-chaaan!", Teddie shouted, looking everywhere - even inside the drawers - for the twelve year old.

"Nana-chan!", Rise yelled as well, her voice already hoarse from shouting.

"Damnit!", Souji cursed after looking through the umpteenth office, and continued running through the corridor. "I was in his office just now! I could have stopped him! I-"

Rise was just about to do something to make him stop beating himself up when Ryotaro Dojima came running out of one of the offices.

"Dojima-sa-", Rise started, but stopped in a shocked shriek when Dojima punched Souji to the ground without warning. "Senpai!", Rise shouted in horror and together with Teddie worriedly knelt in front of Souji who just continued to sit on the floor and stare up at his uncle with wide eyes. "How dare you do this to your own nephew!", the teenie idol shouted at the detective in anger.

"Yeah, that was beary mean!", Teddie agreed, just as angry.

"You!", Dojima shouted at his nephew in fury. "Ever since you sat foot on Inaba, it's been one bad thing after another! Nanako is-... IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HER, I WILL...!"

"It's not Senpai's fault!", Rise yelled right back at him and protectively stood in front of Souji together with Teddie, Souji still only staring up at his uncle.

Dojima looked at the determined expressions of the two in front of him before he turned around with a loud "Tch!" and stormed away, continuing to look for his daughter.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A loud roar together with two far too bright headlights made Mr. Bagman, who was walking together with Nanako - who was following him like a good girl - through the forest that was near the university, come to a stop.

Akihiko hurriedly parked Mitsuru's old motorbike that he had taken this morning to drive to the university, through the helmet to the side and stood in front of the old professor.

"Oh? Whatever can I do for you, Sanada-san?", Mr. Bagman happily asked the young director.

"On your way home, aren't you?", Akihiko only replied and shortly looked at Nanako who he now know had been hypnotized by the professor.

"Indeed. But I just had to enjoy a nice walk through the forest, what with the nice weather and all.", Mr. Bagman contentedly answered and took a deep breath of the fresh air.

Akihiko sighed. "Just stop it, Bagman. There's no sense in continuing that act.", he said to the old professor. "This isn't your niece Kotonami."

Mr. Bagman looked at Akihiko for a moment before he grinned maliciously. "How very smart you are.", he finally said.

"And how very not smart of you to walk through the forest her when you would have surely been able to get to your house in an instant.", Akihiko replied. "I mean, it should have been easy for you, what with the speed that must be at your disposal, enabling you to kill children all over Japan this quickly."

Bagman's grin only broadened. "Quite nicely observed, my boy. Yes, I could have certainly been faster if I wanted.", he said and looked at the open diary in his hand which he now closed. "But there are certain things that I still have to finish. And so I thought that I could enjoy a nice walk while finishing up what I still have to do." He laughed. "And since you fools from the police are so very dumb and still haven't managed to understand how all of those children were murdered - but rather covered everything up with lies - I thought I didn't have to fear anything... It seems I was wrong."

"Indeed you were.", Akihiko agreed and drew his revolver. "Yosufu Bagman, you are hereby under arrest for the murder of hundreds of children throught Japan and for the attempted murder on Nanako Dojima."

Bagman's lips slightly curled in amusement before he laughed out loud.

"... What?", Akihiko growled.

"Well, my dear, it seems you think - a rather wrong thought, if I may say so myself - that I will, how do you say it... cease and desist just like that without any resistance at all.", Bagman answered. "I think I'll have to disappoint you."

Akihiko quickly grabbed his Neo Evoker as well. "I already knew it would come to this."

"Tsk, tsk!" Bagman shook his head in disapproval. "Akihiko. Akihiko. My bad, bad little boy." He sighed. "I must admit, I had such great hopes for you. Such a high-ranked police officer at this age! And then even a university's leader!" His gaze turned slightly condescending. "But now I realize that everything you've managed to gain so far is due to sleeping with that Kirijo whore! You've disappointed me time and time again, my boy!"

"What did you just say about my fiancé?", Akihik growled in anger and aimed at Bagman with his revolver while pointing the Neo Evoker at his temple, ready for any attack from Bagman whatsoever.

Bagman's smile turned completely hateful, his eyes glimmering yellow, as he spoke the next words: "Miki would clearly disapprove if she could see her big brother now."

"... What...?", Akihiko started, completely confused. "How do you...?"

"You've been a baaad boy, Akihiko!", Bagman laughed. "`Don't play with fire´! It was one of the first things your daddy had taught you! And you still ignored it! Just look at how much poor Miki had to suffer because of that! And now you're even pointing guns at other people! You're a very baaad boy!"

Akihiko slightly lowered both the revolver and the Neo Evoker while staring with wide eyes at Bagman who was standing in front of him mere seconds later. "Where...? Why...? How...?", Akihiko only managed to stammer.

"Oh? So you remember the rule? You were still so small back then, after all.", Bagman chuckled and lay the hand that was holding the diary on Akihiko's shoulder while he reached around Akihiko with the hand that was holding the cane which had now transformed into a sharp blade. "You were such a cute little boy when you were still young! Rather enticing-looking, really!" Bagman leaned forward a bit so that both men's noses almost touched, staring directly into Akihiko's eyes that were full of disbelief. "Daddy is very, veeery disappointed, my boy!"

"Y... You are...", Akihiko managed to choke out before the blade that the cane had turned into was thrust into his ribcage, blood dripping everywhere, even onto Bagman's white shirt, the front now soaking with the red fluid. "Uuugh...", Akihiko wheezed and slowly and miserably sank to the ground, his gaze still fixated on Bagman who knelt down next to him with a groan and took the Neo Evoker away from him. "... Wh... Why...? You're... my...", Akihiko croaked.

"Well, you know how it is, my boy. Fate is always the one writing the very best comedies.", Bagman replied and waved at Akihiko before he continued walking through the forest together with Nanako, leaving Akihiko who was slowly but steadily losing all of life force behind.


	104. Chapter 102: A Jack Frosty surprise

_**Chapter 102: A Jack Frosty surprise**_

"This is... how it should be..."

A short scuffling of feet, followed by a hard fall and the loud screams of his friends.

"Shinji!"

As Akihiko relived the death of his best friends another time in front of his inner eyes, his own death getting closer and closer, several things went through his head.

_`My whole life... I've been wondering what could have been... having a normal life... family... Now... I absolutely don't want to even imagine it... Shinji... I think I'll be seeing you and Miki sooner than I expected...´_

A pained smile forced itself on his bloody face - he had spat out a lot of blood just now.

_`Killed while trying to save a child from a lunatic... Quite the déjàvu, isn't it, Shinji...?´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Akihiko... Akihiko!"

Slowly and with a groan he opened his eyes and stared at the face of his fiancé.

"Mitsu-", he was able to say before his voice left him and he had to cough violently.

"Oh thank god!", Mitsuru gasped and looked behind her.

A moment later Akihiko let out a small whimper when Junpei and Ken both heaved him up from the ground and transported him towards Mitsuru's limousine.

"What is...?", he wheezed.

"Yamagishi felt your life force slowly depleting, and led us all here!", Mitsuru explained, still completely pale and out of it while the limousine started driving. "You were lucky we were there just in time to heal you, you fool!" Her facial expression went angrier and angrier. "How dare you try and fight a person like that without your Neo Evoker!"

"... But... I had it with me..."

"Nope, Senpai. There was no Neo Evoker whatsoever.", Junpei butted into the conversation.

"What...? But... Ugh..." Akihiko stopped, groaning loudly. "... So then... Bagman must have taken it..."

"Bagman?", Ken repeated questioningly. "But what would he want with it? I mean, he can't summon a Persona... can he? And even if he could, he's far too old, even with the Neo Evoker!"

"Hmm...", Junpei hummed, scratched his goat-beard and just shrugged, at a loss.

"Where are we driving...?", Akihiko suddenly asked from his place on the seating bench, head on Mitsuru's lap.

"To the hospital.", Mitsuru answered. "We were able to heal the worst of your injuries, but we still need to have a doctor look at it."

"... Hospital...? No... I need... to Bagman...", Akihiko wheezed.

Mitsuru vehemently shook her head. "_You_ need to go to the hospital! Souji-san, Yamagishi and the others are already on their way to Bagman's house, driving in two cars they borrowed from me. They will take care of him, don't worry, Akihiko!"

Akihiko just stared at her for a while, before he finally said: "Mitsuru... Bagman... he..."

"Gento... Sanada, right?", Mitsuru interrupted him. "The researcher who's worked for my grandfather years ago."

"How...?"

"You were mumbling things about your father when you were unconscious, Akihiko. I'm quite capable to put these things together.", Mitsuru replied.

"Oh..."

"But... is he really Gento Sanada?", Mitsuru mumbled sadly. "The Sanada I once met as a little girl was completely different than the Yosufu Bagman he is now... I just don't understand."

"Me neither, Mitsuru...", Akihiko wheezed. "Me neither..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The first thing they noticed as they entered the living-room in Bagman's house was the unbearable stench that originated from the room. The whole room was completely dark, and so everyone's gaze fell on the only source of light which was the turned on TV screen.

"Faster than I expected, my dears!", Bagman said who had quickly jumped up from his seat when he had heard the front door being violently opened, and had knocked on the ground with his cane, the diary that he had just closed seconds ago with a satisfied sigh glowing and disappearing immediately. Now he was standing in front of the room's TV, holding Nanako in a choke-hold.

"Big... Bro...", the twelve year old wheezed, apparently finally having broken through the hypnosis

"Nana-chan!", Teddie shouted frantically and took some steps towards Mr. Bagman together with the others.

"No, no, no! That won't do!", Bagman said, strengthened his grip on Nanako and aimed at her face with his cane. "I suggest you better think about what you're about to do next if you want her to stay in one piece, my dears!"

"Bastard! Let Nanako go!", Dojima barked through the room.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, good sir.", Bagman merely replied as if they were talking about commodity trades.

"You've already hurt Akihiko more than enough!", Fuuka sobbed and stared at all the blood on Bagman's clothes that wasn't his own. "Let go of the girl!"

"Akihiko...", Bagman repeated and sighed. "Well, it's not my fault that he just had to get in the way and try to take away cute little Nanako-chan here, after all. At least now he can't make any more foolish decisions as Tanaba University's director anymore! Hah!"

"Shut up, scumbag!", Yosuke snarled.

"Ah ah ah! Do you really want to get kicked from the top of my favourite student list that badly, Hanamura?", Bagman chuckled, bowed before them and then thrust one leg through the TV screen  
"Get back here, Bagman!", Souji yelled.

"Ciao!"

He was about to stick another foot through the Tv screen when suddenly the plants in the pots near the balcony grabbed his arms.

"What?", the old professor gasped and stared at Fuuka who was currently concentrating to hold him back with all her might. "You impudent little-!"

Dojima hurriedly walked forward.

"I said to stay back!", Bagman shouted and started choking Nanako even more.

Her face started to turn blue.

"Let her go!", Yukiko shouted in horror.

"_YOU_ let go first!", Bagman shouted back and stared at the plants that were still holding him in place.

"Bastard!", Dojima shouted once again, drew his gun and aimed at Bagman.

"Oh? You want to shoot me, good sir?", Bagman laughed. "Go right ahead! Try it!"

There was a loud BANG when Dojima pulled the trigger, mixed with Bagman's hysterical laughter as suddenly an apparitional figure appeared before him to shield him from the bullet that was now effectively thrown back at Dojima.

"What?", Dojima shouted, disbelief clearly written on his face as he stared at the figure that appeared in front of Bagman to protect him.

"NO!", Fuuka shouted in horror, the plants letting go of Bagman and quickly jumping in front of the bullet, taking the hit instead of Dojima.

"Thank you so much for letting me go! Bye bye, for now!", Bagman cackled and finally jumped through the TV screen together with Nanako.

"GET THE HELL BACK HERE!", Souji and Yosuke shouted in unison and tried to catch the professor's other leg, unfortunately to no avail.

Dojima sank to the ground. "That... That was... Manemiro Terafudo...", he gasped.

"Wh-who?", Saki asked, confused.

"Manemiro Terafudo's one of the children that had been killed throughout these last few months...", Fuuka explained, having read the article about Terafudo's murder. "But... that child was really protecting Bagman just now? How?"

"That means... Bagman really _did_ kill all those children.", Yukiko said, getting more and more panicked.

"Damnit!", Souji shouted in fury and punched the wall.

"Nana-chan...", Teddie sniffled, head lowered.

"G-guys...", Rise suddenly said, slowly getting everyone's attention. The teenie idol had knelt to the ground near one of the room's corners shortly after Bagman had disappeared together with Nanako.

"What do you want, Kujikawa?", Dojima snarled, his eyes widening a moment later, though, when he saw what Rise was trying to show them: There on the ground in one of the corners lied a pretty decayed man's corpse. Maggots had already eaten away at the corpse, but one could still recognize it as Bagman who was lying dead on the ground.

"What is...? How...?", Yukiko stammered, completely confused now.

Souji looked away from the corpse in disgust, but still noting that it lacked many patches of skin where the maggots hadn't eaten yet - why was the corpse not fully eaten yet after all these months to begin with? -, and startled as he saw a damaged TV lying on the ground behind the TV Bagman and Nanako had jumped into. This TV's screen was completely shattered, as if someone had punched it to pieces.

Slowly and with an uneasy feeling he knelt to the ground and stared at the dark blotches on the ground near the destroyed TV.

"Blood...", he mumbled and carefully - he didn't want to destroy any evidence - examined the screen shards, noticing the dried blood on them.

He slowly stood up again and stared at the corpse again. "So this was... really Bagman's Shadow that just now jumped into the TV world..."

"Then this is... the real Bagman?", Yosuke asked, still staring at the corpse.

Souji noded. "He must have met his Shadow here in front of the TV, destroying it so that the Shadow was able to escape. It's the same thing that happened with all the other victims so far.", he said. "But... the Shadow killed him instead of stealing his soul and taking it into the TV world... Why?"

Only silence among the others was his answer, accompanied by a strange tiredness, mixed together with endless despair.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Yosufu... Yoooosuuuufuuuu~!"

Yosufu Bagman, who was still sitting on the cold and seemingly endless graveyard together with Yuuta, felt a cold shower running down his back when he heard someone call his name, and looked up in horror.

"... Bagman-san?", Yuuta asked, slightly puzzled, and looked up from the grave he was currently kneeling in front of.

"He... He...", Mr. Bagman stammered.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Happy and absolutely ecstatic, Mr. Bagman's Shadow wandered through the TV world, together with Nanako who was trying to break free from him as best as possible, although with no hope of success of beating the Shadow's alchemy.

They finally stopped in front of a giant gate made of giant steel that led to a rather scary-looking graveyard.

"Yosufu... Yoooosuuuufuuuu~!", Bagman's Shadow mumbled blissfully while ceremonially kicking open the gate and entering the graveyard.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"He... He...", Mr. Bagman stammered. "He's here!"

"Wh-who is here?", Yuuta asked him, panic already starting to rise in him.

"My Shadow has entered the graveyard in reality...", Mr. Bagman gasped quietly.

"What?", Yuuta shouted in horror. "But... I'm not done yet! I need more time!" He looked at Mr. Bagman whose whole body was shaking violently before turning back to the grave. "Bagman-san! Please do everything you can to stall him!"

Mr. Bagman only sat there, as stiff as a board.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Yosufu~...", Bagman's Shadow mumbled happily while walking through the narrow paths of the graveyard that the graves build, together with a loudly screaming Nanako. "You can hear me, can't you, Yosufu, my dear? Rejoice! For today is a truly splendid day~!"

"Y-you...", Mr. Bagman's voice could suddenly be heard in the Shadow's mind, his whole body shaking with fear.

"Oh, if only I could see the look on your face now that you must surely have now! Haha!", Bagman's Shadow laughed.

"P-please... Please don't..."

"`Please don't´, what? You have to speak up if you want to tell me something, Yosufu, my dear. How else am I supposed to understand what you want from me?", the Shadow replied with fake politeness and ungently knocked on the ground with his cane. Nanako who had started to try and punch him as best as possible let out a choked scream of pain and sank to the ground. Bagman's Shadow just continued to drag her along.

"I-I... Miki... Please... You can't..."

"Oh, but I sure can, my dear.", Bagman's Shadow answered. "Oooh, how my heart will be filled with divine warmths once I can finally do what you have feared all those years, Yosufu~!"

"P-please...", Mr. Bagman tried begging again.

"Now, how does it feel, Yosufu? After all of your hard efforts! After all the precautions you took with that disgusting diary! After all the pain that you have inflicted upon both of your children in order to protect them! And in the end it didn't matter at all!", the Shadow cackled. "BOTH OF THEM ARE FUCKING DEAD!"

"B-both-? What did you do to Aki?"

"Weeell, let me apologize for my rather rude outburst just now and phrase my next sentence as nicely as possible: Dear Aki is now sitting together with his cute little sister somewhere above us on a cloud, playing the harp!", the Shadow answered in amusement.

"Y-you monster!"

"You thought it would be better for them if you just abandoned them on the doorsteps of that orphanage, didn't you? You thought you couldn't possibly do anything to them that way! Hah! You've been wrong about every single thing you have done in your life, and this was most likely the biggest mistake in your calculations that you have ever done! Both of them are dead!", the Shadow continued to laugh. "And it's not over yet, Yosufu! Oh nooo~! That was only this play's firt part!" He looked down at Nanako who was still in absolute pain, happily continiung on with her through the graveyard. "Part number two will shortly follow in a few moments!"

"P-please don't...! I'll do anything...!"

"Hah! Did _you_ show _me_ any mercy when you created that diary and thus completely chained me, your true self?", his Shadow interrupted him. "I don't think so! This is revenge, Yosufu! Sweet revenge!"

"I-I..."

"Oh, would you look at that! There's the graveyard's center in front of me, Yosufu! I really still have much to do! I think we'll continue our talk later! Ciao~!"

"N-no! P-please do-"

But the Shadow had already ended the link between him and his original, and was now staring at the throne made of stone that was situated in the graveyard's center.

Bagman let go of Nanako and continued onwards until he stopped in front of the throne. He stared up the foggy sky.

"The first circle is immediately above us in the human world.", he said and sighed. "God! How many times I had to re-arrange the circle and with it the graveyard due to those brats..." He turned around towards Nanako who had managed to stand up on shaky knees by now. "Well, time to connect the circle in the human world with this place's circle..." He triumphantly raised his cane, about to hit the ground with it. "FAREWELL, NANAKO DOJIMA!"

There was a loud BANG, a loud scream by Bagman and Nanako, followed by blue light that quickly engulfed the whole area.

"What the...?", Bagman shouted who had just barely managed to dodge the attack - a strangely grinning blue ball that had shot towards him - by being protected by one of those apparitional figures. The figure was hit by the attack instead and screamed in unbelievable pain before it disappeared.

One of the graves in the graveyard was shattered to pieces seconds later.

"What? A Persona?", Bagman gasped when he saw the grinning snowball Jack Frost who had landed in front of a completely dumbfounded Nanako. The snowball itself and Nanako were both surrounded by a blue glimmer. "But how...?"

The professor quickly looked around the area, looking for Souji, but once he couldn't find the silver-haired Fool anywhere, he stared back the grinning ball. "What is going on here? How did a Persona-?" But he stopped as he examined the creature in front of him further. "... No, wait just a moment! You're just a mere plush doll!" He laughed in amusement and took a step forward, and Jack Frost immediately raised his hands protectively in front of Nanako. "Hah! Don't be ridiculous! _You_ want to protect her from _me_? Hahaha!"

He took another step forwards, and it was in that moment that Jack Frost's whole body - his eyes also - were glowing bright blue, the snowball starting to fly seconds later.

"Jack Frost? What is...?", Nanako stammered, but was interrupted when Jack Frost let out a loud scream, the ground starting to shake violently.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Souji and his friends had just now reached Tanaba University and were storming towards Naoto's lounge in order to jump through the TV there and enter the TV world when Souji suddenly screamed in surprise and was thrown to the ground.

"Senpai!", Rise shouted worriedly and wanted to kneel down next time, but jumped back in horror when the Compendium that Souji always carried around with him suddenly shot out of Souji's jacket and opened by itself. It skimmed through the pages by itself until it had reached a certain page, a blue light shooting out of said page just a moment later, the light hurrying towards Naoto's lounge.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Elizabeth!", Margaret shouted in surprise when her younger sister Elizabeth was thrown to the ground in front of the gate where Minat's soul was sealed.

"Wh-whatr's wrong with her?", Mrs. Hanamura asked, getting away from the two as quickly as possible.

"Th-the Compendium...", Elizabeth gasped when suddenly Minato's Compendium that she had held onto all this time shot out of her bag and opened itself, hurriedly skimming through the pages until it had reached a certain page. A blue light shot out of that page seconds later.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Bagman's right eye was twitching violently, disbelief writting all over his face as he stared up at Izanagi-no-Okami and Orpheus Telos who had both just been summoned from the Compendiums and were now hovering over Jack Frost, staring at Bagman's Shadow threateningly.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: I guess Bagman just got trolled.**


	105. Chapter 103: A stab to the heart

_**Chapter 103: A stab to the heart**_

**Author's notes: Battle Theme alert: www[dot]youtube[dot]com / watch?v=JS7XVMNNZI8 (Xenoblade Chronicles: One Who Gets in Our Way)**

Bagman's right eye was twitching violently, disbelief writting all over his face as he stared up at Izanagi-no-Okami and Orpheus Telos who had both just been summoned from the Compendiums and were now hovering over Jack Frost, staring down at Bagman's Shadow threateningly.

"Jack Frost... what...?", Nanako stammered, absolutely confused as she stared at the two powerful Personas that were flying protectively in front of her and the grinning snowball.

"Haha...", Bagman grunted, his whole body shaking a bit. "Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" The old Shadow held his stomach while laughing before he looked up at the Personas again. "So that's it, huh? This is why you protected the little brat during that night back then, Margaret? Because she is his medium through which he will regain his strength once again? Ahahahahaha!" His eyes turned completely yellow, the colour now permanent. "You can lie as much as you want, Margaret, my dear! You're still just a loyal slave to the Velvet Room, and I'll be making damn sure that you'll be killed off the moment I join you all!"

Both Personas shouted in fury the next moment, Orphaus Telos suddenly standing behind Bagman while Izanagi-no-Okami was pointing his gigantic sword at Bagman.

Bagman looked from one of them to the other. "Well, I certainly didn't expect this kind of resistance. Although..." He quickly punched the ground with his cane, it producing a huge tremor. "JUST TRY YOUR LUCK ON ME IF YOU REALLY WANT TO!"

Both Personas shot forth with a giant roar, the old Shadow throwing his cane into the air at the same time while snipping with his fingers, catching the cane again and hitting the ground with it another time. Two hemispheres of earth shot out of the ground from both sides of the professor, crashing together and acting as a shield.

There was one explosion after the other as both Izanagi-no-Okami and Orpheos Telos threw one powerful attack after the other at the protective barrier that was immediately blasted apart, dust covering the whole place.

Both creatures stared at the heap of rubbles underneath Bagman had to be lying now, ready to attack again the moment they spotted any movement whatsoever.

"Over here!", Bagman yelled, having used the moment in which the hemispheres had crashed to gather to create a protective barrier to disappear into the ground, only to reappear a little bit away from the battlefield, save from harm.

Both Personas whirled around immediately, but Bagman had already summoned dozens of dragons made out of several elements that he threw at them one after another with one single knock with his cane.

Bagman grinned triumphantly, although his smile vanished a second later since each and every one of the dragons just crashed into the Personas without causing any damage at all.

Both Personas were once again flying towards him at an astounding speed rate.

"Tch!", Bagman could only growl in annoyance before each Persona had already thrown a `Morning Star´ spell at him. A silvery-white figure appeared in front of the professor who sighed in relief. Although the figure was already destroyed immediately after appearing in front of the Shadow - both attacks far too strong for the Shadow's barrier -, the attacks flying at the Shadow who barely managed to dodge by vanishing into the ground.

One of the graves in the graveyard was shattered to pieces seconds later.

"Little disgusting piece of...!", Bagman grumbled, reappearing seconds later near Jack Frost and a still completely perplexed Nanako, and looked at the snowball who was still protectively hovering in mid-air, his whole body glowing blue, in annoyance.

Two more Almighty attacks were thrown at the professor who was able to dodge, but only managed to escape the following physical attack by Orpheus Telos by summoning three barriers at once, each of them being shattered one after another with a loud scream of pain, managing to hold back the Persona long enough for the old professor to vanish into the ground another time and immediately reapearring behind a startled Izanagi-no-Okami.

Three more graves were shattered to pieces.

"Just continue doing whatever it is you think you're doing!", the old Shadow yelled, quickly grabbing Izanagi-no-Okami and holding onto him while he began to spin around. "I didn't gather all these barriers for the last few months for nothing! I've got enough of them to defend myself against you for hours!" He looked at Jack Frost while spinning who was visibly concentrating to keep the summoned Personas around. "And your little master is still too weak to keep you around for as long as he wants! Let's see how long he can hold out!"

He let go of Izanagi-no-Okami who was hurled at Orpheus Telos. The Persona was able to dodge Izanagi-no-Okami, but the thrown Personas crashed to the ground between all those graves rather violently.

"EAT THIS!", Bagman screeched, still in mid-air, and threw his cane that had turned into an oversized sword at Izanagi-no-Okami.

Souji's ultimate Persona roared in fury and hit back the professors sword with his own sword, the Shadow laughing and dodging, only to be punched by the ground by a physical attack from Orpheus Telos.

"Ugh!", the old Shadow groaned in pain. Several of his barriers had managed to protect him from most of the attack, but he still felt the pain as he crashed to the ground. "That's really no way to treat your el-" But he didn't get to finish his sentence since he had to once again vanish into ground in order to dodge an Almighty attack by Izanagi-no-Okami.

The professor reappeared at another place, but was already greeted by both Personas there who both swung their weapons at him. Several barriers appeared in front of the old professor whose luck had apparently run out now since he didn't have enough time to jump to the side, getting hit by the weapons instead and thrown against the throne made of stone.

"UGH!", Bagman groaned another time when he crashed against the throne, the air leaving his lungs for a few seconds. Slowly, his body shaking a bit now, the old Shadow tried to stand up again, only to vanish into the ground again since new attacks had been launched at him again.

He reappeared behind Jack Frost and Nanako, trying to catch his breath. "I knew... that it would be difficult... to fight against Seta's ultimate Persona...", he wheezed. "But... having to fight such a powerful Persona from Arisato as well... I just didn't expect this to happen at all..." He threw a hateful glare at Jack Frost whose whole body was now shaking due to concentrating on keeping the two Personas around to fight. "I refuse to... lose against such a disgusting snowball!"

More attacks followed, the professor only managing to escape through his barriers.

"Argh! Just get lost already!", the old Shadow cursed. "Nanako-chan and I still have many important things to discuss!"

Orpheus Telos roared in fury and threw another `Morning Star´ spell at Bagman.

"Enough!", the Shadow shouted back and held his cane directly in front of the spell, the cane absorbing it completely. The letters that were engraved on it began to glow and shuffle around hurriedly until they had formed the word `izanau´ while Bagman turned right around at the same time. "Eat some of your own medicine!" He aimed at Izanagi-no-Okami with his cane, the spell that Orpheus Telos had used shooting out of it and towards Souji's Persona seconds later, hitting him square in the face.

Izanagi in God Mode just scratched his face and looked questioningly from the other Persona to Bagman.

"What the...?", the old Shadow stammered, only to growl loudly a few moments later. _`Of course! Seta's Persona was created in this world while Arisato's Persona was created in the human world! We're currently in the world were Seta's Persona was created, so it's stronger here than Arisato's Persona, meaning Orpheus Telos' spell won't do a thing to it!´_, Bagman thought while crunching his teeth, before he smiled a bit desperately. "Kashim, I think I finally understand you just a little bit! Something like this which could very well bring your plans into disarray can sometimes really be exciting!" He dodged several more attacks. "But I think this is getting _too_ exciting for me now!"

He vanished inside the ground and reappeared directly in front of Jack Frost who squeaked in surprise as Bagman grabbed him with one his hands that was now slowly turning into some kind of blue substance. "I wonder what powers I could gain if I were to add you to my collection!", the old Shadow cackled as his grip around Jack Frost's neck tightened, his blue arm turning into liquid more and more. "Doing it once again would weaken me severely, that's for sure! But with you as a new part of my collection-"

But he didn't get any further since both Personas punched him together with his arm away from Jack Frost the next moment.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Souji who had managed to recover from the shock of his Compendium acting on its own and his friends had reached Naoto's lounge in the meantime and were all standing in front of the TV that would bring them into the TV world.

"Okay, Patty, call Adachi and tell him to quickly join us in the TV world! You know the telephone number, right?", Souji said to Patty who nodded and quickly took out her cell phone to do as she was told. Souji turned to Yukiko. "Yukiko, call Naoto, Kanji, Chie and Kou in Inaba and tell them to come over as soon as possible! Maybe they already know that Nanako-chan has been kidnapped, who knows!"

"But I... want to come with y-", Yukiko started.

"No.", Souji immediately interrupted her. "We have to get to Nanako-chan as quickly as possible! We can't afford to have another battle with your Shadow!"

Yukiko nodded while grumbling and took out her cell phone as well. She really wanted to go qith the others and help save Nanako, but she also understood Souji's reasoning: If her Shadow were to appear inside the TV world, it would only slow them down.

Souji turned to Yosuke, Rise, Teddie and Fuuka. "I know it's dangerous to enter the TV world with only us being able to fight, but we don't have a choice!", he said to them. "Ready?"

The others nodded determinedly.

"Hey! Wait a moment! I'm going, too!", Dojima butted into their conversation, having only stared at each of them until now since he absolutely didn't understand what they were talking about.

"Uncle Dojima, no! We can't-", Souji started, but his uncle immediately interrupted him with a loud growl.

"This is my daughter we're talking about here, Seta!", he yelled at his nephew. "This isn't like last time! I'm not badly injured and lying in hospital! I'll go, too!"

"I already told you that we can't take you with us!", Souji shouted right back at him. "What if your Sha-... your Sha... dow..." He stopped and just stared at the wall with huge eyes.

"... Senpai?", Rise asked, a little bit uncertain.

"Shadow...", Souji repeated, still staring at the same point. "A Shadow appears when someone without a Persona enters the TV world..." He stared at Fuuka who stared right back at him in confusion. "But when Akihiko entered... Why...?"

"Partner, what's wrong?", Yosuke asked him, impatient.

"I..." Souji shook his head. "That's not important right now!" He turned back towards his uncle. "Uncle..."

"I'm coming with you!", Dojima shouted at him again. "And that is my last-"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence since he was knocked out by Saki who had been slowly carrying over the hat stand, dropping it on Dojima's head. The detective fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!", Saki screeched in apology, apparently completely shocked by her on behaviours while the others only stared at her in disbelief. "I thought this would be the best way to prevent him from going..."

"Err... Yeeeaaah, that works, too...", Souji only said before he finally went into the TV world, followed by the other four.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The battle between Bagman and the two strong Personas that Jack Frost had summoned was still in full swing on the graveyard.

Both Izanagi-no-Okami and Orpheus Telos appeared to be doing completely well while Bagman and Jack Frost were slowly approaching their limits.

_`I wonder which of us is going to break down first...´_, Bagman wondered while vanishing into the ground in order to escape another attack, reappearing somewhere else and firing pure energy at both Personas who didn't even get one scratch from it.

"Ugh... Just go away already!", the old Shadow snarled while whiping away the sweat from his forehead. _`What to do...?´_, he thought at the same time. _`If it were only one of them, I could maybe manage to defeat it or hold out until that disgusting plush doll has reached its limit! But with two of them at once...´_ His gaze wandered over to Minato's Persona. _`One of Arisato's Personas... I never thought I would have to do battle against that... That's why I've never bothered to gather any information about it... But still...´_ He looked at Souji's Persona. _`Izanagi-no-Okami is stronger than Orpheus Telos in this world...´_ He sighed deeply. _`This is really risky. If it hasn't managed to advance enough inside the Fool, then it's __**"Adieu, consciousness!"**__ for me for several minutes! And those two freaks certainly just won't wait for me to wake up! But...´_ He barely managed to dodge the next attacks. _`... do I even have another choice?´_

He vanished into the ground the next moment and reappeared as far away as possible from both Personas, closing his eyes and holding the hand that was holding the cane in front of his closed eyes, concentrating.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Souji and the other four were still waiting for Adachi to finally appear inside the TV world and tell them where Bagman and Nanako were when Souji suddenly fell to the ground with a loud scream of pain.

"Senpai! What's wrong?", Rise asked, being worried by Souji's sudden second collapse.

"I... I...", Souji managed to croak out before he shouted in pain again, his eyes turning bright yellow.

"A Shadow?", Fuuka gasped and jumped back in surprise together with the others when suddenly Izanagi shot forth from the silver-haired Fool.

"Izanagi?", Yosuke shouted, confused, and gasped in horror when Souji's Persona pointed its sword at its master neck, ready to strike.

"Stop it!", Teddie shouted, panicked.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Bagman retched and stumbled to the side before he finally slowly opened his eyes that were now silver again, although the watery and old-looking hue had vanished out of them, looking like the eyes of a young man: sharp and determined.

_`I have to hurry...´_, he thought and quickly concentrated. _`Can you hear me?... I know you can hear me!´_

No answer for a few seconds until finally a voice in Bagman's thought answered: _`Well, well! Look who finally thinks about contacting me! Having fun with Nana-chan in there, Baggy?´_

_`Silence, you insolent brat!´_, Bagman snapped back inside his thoughts.

"Izanagi-no-Okami!", Bagman yelled loudly at the same time and pointed from Souji's Persona to Minato's Persona Orpheus Telos. "Destroy it!"

Izanagi-no-Okami let out an enraged roar before it punched a completely confused Orpheus Telos to the ground.

Jack Frost let out a pain of agony and slowly sank to the ground.

"No! Jack Frost!", Nanako shouted, panicked, and took the completely exhausted Jack Frost into her arms, the blue light around it almost completely vanished.

_`Whatever can I do for you, Baggy?´_, the voice in Bagman's thoughts asked.

_`You know exactly what I want you to do!´_, Bagman snapped right back. _`My control over the prison's director weakens imensely once I enter the TV world! Send Namatame and let him kill Adachi! And hurry! Don't let him tell the brats where I am!´_

_`Oooh, sounds as if someone's encountered some problems!´_, the voice chuckles.

_`Silence! Just do what I told you if you want me to help you later, my child!´_, Bagman growled inside his thoughts.

_`As you wish.´_, the voice only sighed.

"MORNING STAR!", Bagman ordered with a loud screech, and said attack was thrown at Orpheus Telos by Izanagi-no-Okami seconds later, effectively hitting Minato's Persona.

Jack Frost let out another squeak before he finally lost consciousness in Nanako's arms.

Orpheus Telos had completely vanished from the graveyard a few moments later.

"Haha... hahahaha... Unbelievable... Hahahaha...", Bagman chuckled before he groaned quietly and lost consciousness as well, falling to the ground.

Izanagi-no-Okami had completely vanished as well.

Absolute silence on the graveyard.

"I-I...", Nanako stammered, her body shaking, and looked from the quietly whimpering Jack Frost in her arms to Bagman who was motionlessly lying on the ground, before she finally started running towards the graveyard's exit.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Huh, what's this? Training for imbeciles?", Adachi chuckled, having finally arrived several minutes later inside the TV world, and watched in amusement how the friends were trying to keep Izanagi from decapitating its master.

"Shut the hell up and help us!", Yosuke yelled at him.

"Hmm... I don't really know.", Adachi only said and tapped his chin in thought a few times. "Looks like it'd be too much trouble, ya know."

"You...!", Rise growled, but then looked up in relief as Souji's eyes suddenly took on their usual silver colour again, Izanagi disappearing again.

"Souji-kun, are you alright?", Fuuka asked him, worried, and healed the silver-haired Fool while Yosuke helped him up.

"Yes... I...", Souji stammered, still a bit stunned from the pain he had felt until just a moment ago. "It's already happened a few times so far and-"

"A few times?", Rise repeated in disbelief.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?", Yosuke snapped at him, worried about his friend, but also angry that Souji was still keeping secrets from them.

"Well, I-"

"Chrm, chrm.", Adachi interrupted them, a condescending sneer on his face as always. "So, who is it we have to save this time because of your failure to protect them?" He sight theatrical. "Honestly, we've already had a go at `Play the Hero´ just a while ago with that Konishi brat, didn't we?" He rolled his eyes. "So?"

"Nanako... Dojima...", Souji mumbled miserably as an answer.

Adachi stared at him, huge-eyed, before he shouted in disbelief: "What?"

He was about to take a step forward when he suddenly sank to the ground, sudden pain clearly written all over his face.

"A-Adachi-san?", Rise asked, confused.

"Ugh... What the...?", Adachi groaned out, as he writhed on the floor in pain, clutching his stomach. His vision became blurry for a second before he suddenly wasn't in the TV world anymore, but lying on his bed in the prison once again, staring right into Namatame's grinning face.

"What is...?", Adachi managed to gasp out and noticed the unbearably pain in his stomach immediately. He stared down on noticed blood gushing out of it in big streams. "... You... bastard...!"

"Time to go...", Namatame mumbled, raising the blood-soaked knife he had already used to stab Adachi's stomach once again.

Adachi closed his eyes, for the first time in years feeling just a little bit scared.

"Aaagh!" A loud crash could be heard the next moment as the door to the cell was thrown open.

Adachi opened his eyes again and managed to barely sit up, staring at the director of Inaba's prison who had managed to enter the cell just in time before Namatame would have been able to stab him a second time.

"My, my, Namatame-san! You really shouldn't have done that!", the director said, managing to somehow hold Namatame who was now leaning against the wall in a choke hold without actually touching him.

"What... is going on...?", Adachi managed to wheeze out, clutching his bleeding stomach in pain.

"Dear old Namatame has just now killed several officers outside this room in order to enter this cell. He apparently hadn't seen any other way to get inside here after I had sealed away his annoying abilits to walk through walls! Bad, baaad Shadow!", the director said disapprovingly.

"Shadow...?", Adachi asked, wheezing.

"Yes, Namatame's Shadow.", the director said, nodding, while staring at Namatame who was staring right back at him with yellow glowing eyes. "Released from the TV world by the killer who's currently going around throwing other people's souls into the TV world, intent on having the revenge its original so wished to have on you, Adachi-san. I'd say this Shadow here was _the_ golden opportunity for the culprit to get you out of the way since you're acting as a `travel guide´ for Seta's group now." He shook his head, sighing. "Now then, why don't we-"

But he stopped, eyes going huge, when Namatame suddenly managed to break through the hold he had him in. Namatame lunged forward, raised his knife and managed to stab the director's hand that was trying to re-create the spell that had kept him in that hold.

"But how...?", the director yelled, still not understanding what was going on.

"They said you're weaker now since he isn't in this world anymore...", Namatame mumbled.

"What...?"

"What is he... talking about...?", Adachi wheezed, managing to fully stand up from his bed. He nearly vomited as he watched Namatem suddenly decapitating the director in front of him. "Eww..."

Namatame turned around toward Adachi, a crazy gleem in his eyes.

"Damnit...", Adachi growled, desperately thinking about a way to escape.

"Goodbye...", Namatame whispered and jumped forward, knife raised, as suddenly the earth started shaking.

"What now...?", Adachi shouted as he and Namatame were thrown to the ground. He stared at the director's corpse in disbelief as it was suddenly lifted from the ground that was starting to shake more and more. Loud screams of pain could be heard, as the corpse was torn apart into little pieces which started to deform into black fog that swirled around the whole room. "What is...?", Adachi wheezed before his eyes widened in realization. "No way...! So that means...! SHIT! Whoever's behind this is prac-"

But he didn't manage to shout any further as he felt something sharp being stabbed right into his heart.

"Ugh...!" Blood streamed out of his mouth as he stared at Namatame who had managed to stand up again and use his knife once again on him.

"Goodbye now, Tohru Adachi... Forever..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Bagman who had regained consciousness after a short while and was now pursuing Nanako and Jack Frost screamed loudly and miserably when suddenly a sharp pain that tore at his very core went through his whole body, sending him to the ground.

"Damnit...!", he cursed while writhing on the ground in unbearable pain. "I told them to kill Adachi, not the director as well! That idiot!"

It took a few moments before he was finally able to stand up again. "One is destroyed now...", he mumbled while whiping the sweat from his face, his yellow eyes now ablaze with anger. "Alright... I can really say now..." He knocked on the ground violently with his cane, glistening sparks shooting out of it. "... THAT I'M ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS NOW!" He suddenly shot forth with unbelievable speed through the graveyard, towards the exit. "NANAKO-CHAN! JACK FROST! HERE I CUUUUUUUUM~!"


	106. Chapter 104: Izanami's Reaper awakens

_**Chapter 104: Izanami's Reaper awakens**_

**Author's notes: Another battle theme alert: www[dot]youtube[dot]com / watch?v=fylg8zp4Pzo (Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - Kotowari/Reason)**

"Nanako-chaaaaaaaaaaaan~!"

Nanako, a still unconscious Jack Frost in her arms, whirled around in shock when she heard Bagman happily shouting her name from behind her.

The twelve year old was already out of breath after the long distance she had run from the graveyard to here, but she still managed to fasten her steps when she saw the old Shadow speeding towards her at an astounding rate.

"Trying to run away, are we? I don't think so!", Bagman shouted after her with an admonishing voice before he knocked on the ground with his cane. "I think we should change this place up a little bit, don't you think so?"

The whole TV world's ground started shaking violently all of a sudden, making Nanako fall to the ground with a surprised scream, but still continuing to crawl on all fours, managing to stand up and running faster.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!", Bagman hummed and continued to run after her, a new place having suddenly appeared a little bit ahead of them: A place full of over the top shiny rainbows and a huge archway made of marble.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The friends around Souji who had been staring at Adachi - who was still lying on the ground, unconscious - and had nearly fallen to the ground due the earthquake, looked at each other in confusion.

"Wh-what was that shaking?", Teddie asked, puzzled, and looked at the sky as if it held all of the answers.

"Bagman...", Souji only mumbled, biting his lower lip, and continued to stare at Adachi. A moment later, he suddenly turned around and took a few steps away from him. "Let's go."

"... Partner?", Yosuke asked him, confused.

"That must have been Bagman's doing. We need to go!", Souji only said and wanted to continue.

"But... Adachi-san-", Fuuka started.

"Adachi's gonna be alright by himself, Nanako-chan won't!", Souji interrupted her.

All five of them shouted out in surprise a moment later when suddenly the ground beneath their feet started rotating. For a few seconds it seemed like the ground had become the sky and the sky had become the ground, before everything returned to normal again.

"What...?", Fuuka started, dumbfounded.

"Let's go already!", Souji shouted and finally wanted to run.

It was at that moment that Adachi's body started to twitch.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"That's...", Nanako mumbled, wide-eyed, when they stopped in front the giant construct that had appeared in front of them after the ground had started to shake.

"Do you recognize it, my little one?", Bagman asked, stopping just a few inches behind her and staring at the area that seemed to have come straight out of a picture book. "Heaven: Your own dungeon from back then, still as good as new, even after I've transported it over here."

Nanako hesitantly looked behind Bagman who was blocking off any available escape route before she finally stormed towards the entance of Heaven.

"However...", Bagman continued and knocked on the ground again with his cane. "I think little bad girls like you don't deserve to go to heaven. Bad girls like you deserve to be shoved down into the deepest abyss... into hell."

The ground suddenly started rotating, the sky becoming the ground and the ground becoming the sky.

Nanako, completely dumbfounded, started above her at the sky, all of the blood in her body running towards her head since she was practically standing at the ceiling, and screamed in surprise when Bagman suddenly stood in front of her.

"Shall we go together, my little one?", the old Shadow asked her and extended one of his hands towards her as if asking her for the next dance.

"I... I...", Nanako stammered, scared, and took some hesitant steps backwards, the new skyward position causing her to become disoriented.

"Nanako-chaaaaaaan~...", Bagman spoke in a sing-sang voice to her and followed her with springy steps.

"Jack Frost, please...!", Nanako whimpered, near tears, and looked down at the still sleeping plush doll.

"Now come to uncle Bagman!", Bagman suddenly shouted and wanted to grab her arm.

"NO!", Nanako immediately screamed and vehemently punched the old Shadow's face with Jack Frost, using him like a weapon.

"AAAAAAARRRGGH!", the old professor screamed in pain when the doll's colour suddenly turned to blue as it hit his face, causing him to crash against the dungeon's archway. "What the...?"

Nanako just stared at him in complete shock before she hurriedly entered the dungeon.

"You disgusting piece of old dirty sheep hair!", Bagman blustered, half-stuck in the archway now, and tried to fight his way out of it as best as possible before he continued to chase Nanako. "I've had enough of these foolish games!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Ugh...", Adachi groaned, his whole body shaking, and slowly looked up at Souji who was standing in front of him.

"Adachi, what's wrong?", Souji asked him. "We don't have time for this! Nanako-chan is-"

"Se... ta...", Adachi managed to wheeze and made a motion for Souji to kneel down closer to him.

Souji just looked at him for a moment in confusion before he knelt down next to the former detective.

"Seta...", Adachi croaked out and grabbed Souji's collar in order to regain his balance at least a little bit. "Namatame's... killed my body... in the human world..."

"Wh-what...?", Souji shouted in horror, the others around him just as shocked as him.

"Seta...", Adachi wheezed again and tightened his grip on Souji. "... He's... immortal..."

"Who is-"

"... Whatever... you do... You... mustn't kill him... or else... you're going... to... regret it..."

"What do you mean by that? Who is-"

But Souji didn't get to ask him any further since Adachi let out a blood-curdling scream the next moment, let go of Souji and held his head with both hands. Pure energy as released from the former detective's body that threw Souji and his friends away from Adachi.

"Adachi!", Souji shouted, barely managing not to fall to the ground, and looked at Adachi who was now kneeling on the ground and staring up at the sky, eyes and mouth wide open. "What's going on, Adachi?"

"My Shadow... is taking over...", Adachi managed to croak out. "My human body is dead... My Shadow's the one in control now... Get away from here!"

"But...", Teddie started.

"GET OUTTA HERE! Our do you... want to face my Shadow? Nanako is... in Danger... isn't she? GO!" Adachi began to writhe in pain, more and more black fog starting to appear around him.

"... Let's go.", Souji only said.

The others looked at him questioningly.

"He's right. Nanako-chan's more important right now. We can just get back here later and try to help him then...", Souji explained, face turned away from the others.

"But... where do we go?", Fuuka asked him. "Adachi-san was the only one who could have possibly told us where Nanako is! And now... now..."

Another loud scream by Adachi shook the area.

"I know that we won't be able to find Nanako-chan like this! But we have to get away from here before Adachi's Shadow has completely taken over!", Souji shouted and started run. "Come on!"

Yosuke, Teddie and Fuuka nodded and ran after him while Rise, who hadn't said anything yet after Adachi had been killed, just continued to stand there and rather snipped with her fingers.

A gigantic wall of earth shot out of the ground in front of Souji and his friends and continued to line uo around them and Adachi, completely trapping them together with the former detective.

"What is...?", Yosuke stammered, perplexed.

"Go? I don't think so.", they could hear Rise giggle.

"R-Rise-chan?", Fuuka asked, puzzled, and turned around to look at Rise who looked like she had just seen a ghost.

"Rise, what...?", Souji started to say, but stopped when suddenly a second Rise - this one with blazing yellow eyes - appeared behind Rise and grinned at them.

"Why leave already? The game's just about to start, ya know.", Shadow Rise said, excited.

"You... Messiah!", Souji snarled and threw a hateful glare at the Shadow that had just broken out of the teenie idol.

"G-GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The black fog around Adachi had now turned to some kind of giant tornado that started circling around the former detective more and more, constricting more and more until it finally crashed into him. Adachi's body was thrown into the air by the impact where he continued to hover in a rather strange position (all of his limbs where extended towards all possible and impossible directions). Chains made of the same foggy substance that had just crashed into the former detective shot into the ground, tieing into it.

"I... Get away... from here... already...!", Adachi managed to wheeze a last time before a silken courtain shot out of the ground, shrouding him and the rest of his half of the area.

"Not gonna happen, I'm afraid!", Shadow Rise chuckled while staring at the curtain in fascination, Souji and his friends already taking on battle positions and getting ready for the worst.

"We don't have time for this!", Souji shouted at Rise's Shadow in fury.

"Now, now! You can certainly spend that much of our precious time, I'm sure of it!", Shadow Rise simply replied. "And don't worry! Nanako-chan's fine... for now at least."

A huge tremor shook the area the next moment, as if something big had just fallen to the ground, the veil being slowly lifted, behind it-

"G-guys...!", Yosuke stammered, his eyes widening when he spotted the being that was revealed under the curtain. "Iza-"

"I am a Shadow, the true self!", Shadow Adachi's voice echoed from far away while Souji and his friends stared at Izanami-no-Okami's rotten body that had just appeared before them in disbelief. "You killed mommy! Now you die!"

"M-mommy?", Fuuka repeated, confused.

"When did we ever-", Teddie started.

"Into what exactly did Adachi transform into after you had beaten his pathetic human body back then?", Shadow Rise interrupted him happily.

"Ameno-sagiri.", Souji answered. "But what does this-"

"And who was the one to give birth to Ameno-sagiri?", Shadow Rise interrupted him as well.

"Iza-... Oh.", Yosuke said and looked back up at Izanami-no-Okami.

"It's actually really cute when you think about it!", Shadow Rise giggled. "Tohru Adachi, the man who started throwing people into this world and thus practically started this whole thing, actually wants his family back! But since his real mother disowned him and and doesn't acknowledge his existence anymore, he just chooses Izanami, the one who have birth to what he apparently now thinks he is, as his new mother! Ahahaha! How adorable!"

"... His mother refuses to acknowledge his existence?", Souji repeated and looked at the other questioningly who just shook their heads helplessly.

At the same time Izanami-no-Okami swung one her rotten and giant arms at the friends and tried to crush them.

"Izanagi!", Souji yelled after he had dodged to the side, and summoned his Persona who immediately threw several Zionga spells at the goddess who didn't take any damage at all. "Tch! That's right, Zio doesn't work..."

"Does she have any weakness at all? I can infuse your weapons with that element!", Fuuka shouted at the others while crushing the tarot card above her with he hands, her Persona Brynhildr immediately creating shields that blocked the Ziodyne spells that Izanami-no-Okami was throwing around.

"As far as I remember, no! Just make sure she doesn't get me or Ted with a Zio spell or we're both done for!", Yosuke replied while launching a physical attack together with Souji from the front as Teddie tried to surprise the goddess by throwing a Bufula spell at her from behind.

None of the attacks managed to even put a scratch on Izanami-no-Okami's body.

"Alright!", Fuuka shouted back as an answer and dodged the goddess' fist by jumping to the side, leaving her heavy shield on the ground since she wouldn't have been able to dodge in time if she had tried to take it with her.

"Hmmhmmhmm...", Shadow Rise chuckled as she watched each every one of Souji's attacks failing to hurt Izanami-no-Okami. "What's the matter, Souji-kun? You managed to beat this thing once already, didn't you?" The Shadow hit its forehead with his hand as if it had just realized something important. "Oh, stupid little old me! That's right! The dumb Fool lost his ultimate Persona and can't do a thing without out!", Shadow Rise continued with a baby-like voice. "Poor Fool! Completely powerless and pathetic without Philemon's complete blessing! Hah!"

Izanami-no-Okami let out a loud roar the next moment, and a thick wall of green gas started covering the area.

"No! Get back, guys!", Souji yelled and jumped back, away from the gas, as the goddess already extended both of her hands towards the sky, a gigantic water fountain flooding half of the battlefield seconds later. Souji and his friends managed to get away just as a scary aura appeared for a short moment fore it vanished again together with all the water.

"What was...?", Fuuka started, dumbfounded.

"`Summons to Yomi´! Everyone who's struck by the water fountain is killed by that aura she releases seconds later!", Souji explained and launched another attack that failed once again.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Nanako had descended several floors of her dungeon in the meantime, and the corridors full of colorful rainbows and bright light had turned more and more into a place of horror with each passing floor, full of rotten twines that hung down from the half-destroyed walls, smelling absolutely terrible, water dripping down everywhere, accompanied by an unnatural darkness.

"Hellooooooooo~!", some could be heard shouting from one of the corridors that let to the hallway Nanako was currently wandering through. The twelve year old shouted in surprise and swung the still unconscious Jack Frost in her arms around, hitting Bagman who had just shot forth from around a corner square in the face. "Ugh!", the old Shadow groaned as he was thrown against a porous wall that broke down and covered him with its pieces.

Nanako hurriedly continued to run further.

"Tch...", Bagman grumbled, whisking away the few pieces of the wall that his barrier hadn't been able to catch, and stood up again. "How in the world can it be that this damn little snowball is able to make a fool out of m-"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence since Nanako could suddenly be heard screaming from the end of the corridor.

"What the...?" The professor hurriedly shot through the corridor that Nanako had run through, and stopped in surprise when he spotted Nanako who was trapped in a corner by an exact copy of herself. "Uh-oh..."

"No!", Nanako shouted and held Jack Frost protectively in front of her body while her Shadow walked towards her. "I want to go back! I want to go back into my world!"

Her Shadow extended a hand towards her, as if it was offering to lead her back.

"No!", Nanako yelled at it and punched the hand to the side. "I-"

"Stop, you foolish brat!", Bagman shouted at her in warning.

"I don't want anything to do with you! Go away!", Nanako screamed at her Shadow in panic. The Shadow let out an angry scream seconds later, balling the hand it had extended towards Nanako just now into a fist which it swung at her.

"Grrr!", Bagman growled, releasing a silver shadow from his body that quickly positioned itself in front of Nanako as a protective barrier, preventing the Shadow from hurting her. The twines immediately started chaining Shadow Nanako to the wall after Bagman had knocked on the ground with his cane, the old Shadow jumping at Nanako's dark self and launching several explosions at it.

Nanako used her chance to flee.

"Get back her, you damn annoying brat!", Bagman shouted after her and wanted to follow her, but the twelve year old's Shadow had already managed to break free from the twines and jumped at him. The old professor managed to erect a barrier just in time, but it was completely destroyed when Shadow Nanako's attack hit it, throwing the professor back. "What?", Bagman shouted angrily and looked at the Shadow's fists that glowed blue. "Ugh! So you're copying that annoying snowball's power, huh?"

Shadow Nanako yelled and jumped at him again.

"This really isn't my day..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Another fountain of water thrown by Izanami-no-Okami managed to hit a panicked Rise. Souji and Fuuka hurriedly grabbed Fuuka's shield and threw it over Rise so that the aura that was released by the goddess seconds later couldn't hit her. Fuuka grabbed her shield and worried looked down at Rise who stayed lying on the ground, holding her head with her hands.

"... Rise-chan?", Fuuka asked, but jumped fowards with her Persona in horror when Izanami-no-Okami suddenly attacked Teddie with powerful Ziodyne spells.

Shadow Rise happily looked from the spectacle in front of her to her original who still continued to lie on the ground. "Just give it up already.", the Shadow said to her. "You don't stand a chance against me."

"... Shut... up!", Rise snapped from the ground, managed to stand up again and swung her fist at her Shadow that merely side-stepped to dodge, laughing. The teenie idol lost her balance and fell back to the ground.

"What was that? Should I take your actions as something akin to `You're not me!´?", her Shadow asked her, delighted. "Weeell, I _could_ go berserk, if you really want me to..."

"No, you won't!", Souji yelled from the side and swung his sword at the Shadow. The weapon slid right through Shadow Rise without doing any damage at all. "What...?"

"Stupid Fool! Teddie has already told you once that a Shadow can't be attacked in its human state!", Rise laughed and made some kind of swishing motion, causing a storm that blew Souji to the side. "Besides, didn't I just say I `_could_´? I'm not stupid enough to go berserk so that I become vulnerable! That would end the game far too quickly! No, I think I'll rather stay in this form - untouchable for you all - and watch Izanami-no-Okami flatten you!"

Souji had only time to grumble at Rise's Shadow before he had dodge one of the many hands of the goddess.

Rise managed to stand up again, groaning and still holding her head.

"Aww, does it hurt to feal my presence this badly, Rise-chan?", her Shadow asked her. "Because if so, that's pretty good, don't you think? After all, it's just the right punishment for what you did!"

"What I... did...?", the teenie idol groaned, staggering from one side to the other.

"Oh, lemme think for a bit...", her Shadow said with a thoughtful voice while one explosion after another occured around it and its original. Then it suddenly said with a far too high-pitched voice: "Helloooooo, Risetteers~! Heeeere's Risette, just for you! I have thousands of different faces, have no clue which of them is my real face, but I still expect to kneel down, lick my feet and damn well worship me already!" The Shadow's face took on a shocked expression. "Whaaat? Seeenpaaaaaiiiii, how dare you use different faces in different situations, hiding your true self? Who would ever do this, lying to other people with all of those masks! _I_ certainly wouldn't do something _this_ despicable!" A gloating expression appeared on the Shadow's face. "Hah! Hypocrit!"

"I'm not a-"

"Day in and day out you need one different mask after another in order to stand a chance and survive in this world!", the Shadow interrupted her. "In a too depressing situation? How about Happy-go-Lucky-Rise to bear it? Or how about the It's-all-soooo-sad-Rise? `Ooooh, Senpai is here! Time for our Sexy-Squeal-Rise!´" The Shadow looked down victoriously on Rise who had once again completely sunk to the ground, headache having become too strong. "You change from one mask to the other like other people change their shirts! You said all of those Rises are part of you! And yet you're still so completely unsure of yourself that you need an intensely strong love partner as an anchor for yourself! But god beware if that partner isn't as perfect as you thought! Then little Miss Hypocrit will immediately turn her back on them, completely ignoring that they share the same mistake as you: All those masks they need to get by in life!"

"I..."

"Rise!", Souji shouted at her from far away while desperately dodging Izanami-no-Okami's attacks, trying to counter them. "Try to fight against that thing! Remember, this is just that damn Messiah that's trying to play his psycho games with you! You've gotta get through this!"

"Heh!", Shadow Rise laughed in amusement. "This unsure brat here's supposed to accomplish something by herself? How absurd!" It blew Souji away again. "Besides, I already told you that I'm going to stay in this invincible state until Adachi has killed you or is killed! So just forget it! This game's far from over yet!"

"I'm sorry to be such a spoilsport, but I'm afraid it is!", a voice could suddenly be heard from above the battlefield.

"What? Who...?", Shadow Rise stammered in confusion when suddenly threw people landed on the battlefield with a loud WAMM, followed by several shots from above, a loud scream from Shadow Adachi - wherever he was - seconds later.

"TOMOE!", one of the three people that had just now arrived in the TV world - Chie Satonaka - and let her Persona crash right into Izanami-no-Okami who had suddenly started losing her balance after those shots from above had been fired.

"You...!", Shadow Rise screamed as she looked upwards, eyes full of hatred, and stared at Naoto Shirogane whose upper body was leaning through some sort of white window - she was basically leaning through the TV, her upper body in the TV world, the rest of her body still in the human world - and shooting at something in the sky.

Something fell to the ground, rattling loudly.

"What is...?", Souji started and knelt down to look at that something that had just fallen down from above. "Are those... chains?", he mumbled and remembered that something like chains had shot out of Adachi's body before his Shadow had taken over. "What...?"

Naoto fired some more, more and more chains crashing to the ground, until Izanami-no-Okami completely lost her balance and fell to the ground, completely motionless.

"What the hell's going on here?", Yosuke asked, completely perplexed, as he stared at the huge pile of bones that had been the giant goddess just a moment ago.

"It's jus' a puppet!", Kanji who had landed together with Kou and Chie in the TV world explained.

"The real Shadow has been controlling the puppet! Naoto simply shot the chains that were controlling the puppet until they broke!", Kou explained and looked upwards at the giant eye that was now flying downwards towards the friends: Ameno-sagiri.

"So Adachi's Shadow's really taken on that form again...", Souji mumbled while staring at the black eye from which yellow fog continuously streamed out. "Some of Ameno-sagiri's consciousness must have still remained in his Shadow..."

"Get down here, you annoying brat!", Shadow Rise screamed at Naoto in the meantime while next to her a giant mechanical paw that belonged to Shadow Naoto shot out of the ground. "Your Shadow's ready for round two with you!"

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline that invitation for today.", Naoto replied with a disgusted glare at the teenie idol's Shadow, and then turned to Souji. "Senpai! I expect to see you together with Nanako-chan the next time we meet!"

Souji nodded grimly in agreement before the young detective fully vanished into the human world again.

"Grrr...", Shadow Rise grumbled and watched Shadow Naoto's giant paw disappear into the ground again.

"So...", Kanji said and rubbed his knuckles while looking at the still dazed eye that was Ameno-sagiri. "Looks like we're back in the game, doesn't it!"

"Hah! Don't get too cocky, Tatsumi!", Rise's Shadow shouted at the muscular man, laughing. "You really think you could defeat a being like Ameno-sagiri in that pathetic condition that you're all in, and without the power of the Wild Card at that?"

"Matarukaja!", Kou yelled the next moment, his Persona Siegfried casting the strengthening spell over the whole group seconds later while Souji cast the defense weakening spell `Rakunda´ on the eye at the same moment.

"Rainy Death!", Chie shouted and rushed her Persona at the enemy, followed by Siegfried's `Mighty Swing´ and Rokuten Maoh's `Primal Force´.

The eye had just enough time to scream in panic before it was thrown through the air by the attacks and finally started to dissipate into black fog, completely defeated.

"But how...?", Shadow Rise stammered, confused.

"Even though Izanami-no-Okami was just a puppet, it was still really powerful! That could only mean that Shadow Adachi had cast all of his energy into the puppet while keeping a bare minimum to survive for himself! It was easy defeating him after the chains that had been connecting them had been severed!", Kou explained, shrugging.

"Naoto's idea?", Yosuke asked him, eyebrow raised.

"Yap. It's really a pity that she actually doesn't want to study. Waste of brain cells, if ya ask me.", Kou replied, grinning.

"How did you even get here so fast?", Fuuka asked.

"Oh, that's easy! We were just about to visit Nanako-chan when Kashiwagi came running out of the house crying like a baby! And, well... Kou's family is pretty damn rich, after all.", Chie answered.

"Jus' one call n' he had a helicopter ready n' all!", Kanji added.

"Well, sometimes it certainly pays off to be rich.", Kou said, grinning and together with the others turned towards Shadow Rise who was now left without her comrade.

"You're next.", Souji angrily said to the Shadow. "Still want to continue playing your stupid game?"

A loud and furious grumble was Shadow Rise's only answer, the tide now that she was left on her own and cornered having suddenly turned quite dramatically.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**T.J: Thanatos won't have greater role in the story, but he could still be summoned during a battle as `just´ a Persona, yes.**

** Natzo: I had actually planned to make Bagman stronger, so I guess it was a good idea to make him weaker in the end. ^^; But what you have to consider that Jack Frost has not even half of his original powers back; that is the only reason why Bagman had a chance at winning. If Jack Frost had been at full power, Bagman would have been obliterated in a matter of seconds.**


	107. Chapter 105: Shock Yosuke's secret

_**Chapter 105: Shock - Yosuke's secret**_

Nanako had reached the deepest floor of her dungeon in the meantime, completely out of breath, and stared at the rather unstable looking bridge made of wood that led over a sea of lava to an elevated platform. She took a short moment to take a look at Jack Frost who was still sleeping in her arms, and stared back at the bridge again before she jumped up as she heard an explosion from her behind her.

Bagman and Shadow Nanako had also reached the last floor, still battling each other heatedly.

Nanako gulped before she took a hesitant step towards the bridge.

"DON'T!", Bagman yelled seconds later and shoved Nanako away from the bridge with a swishing motion of his cane. The bridge itself fell apart seconds later, its pieces falling down into the lava where they were burned to shreds immediately. "Tch!", the old Shadow growled and created a massive wall of earth with a knock of his cane that obscured the abyss, the room becoming much darker in a flash since the hot lava couldn't spend anymore light anymore.

Shadow Nanako used the short moment the old professor didn't focus his attention on her to jump at Nanako who shouted out in panic from her place on the ground.

"No!", Bagman and Nanako yelled at the same time.

There was a loud noise, followed by a scream of surprise from Nanako's Shadow that was thrown back moments later: The screams of Bagman and Nanako had apparently finally woken up Jack Frost who had been able to jump out of Nanako's arms just in time to create some sort of protective ball made of blue light around him and Nanako that had blocked and thrown back the Shadow's attack.

"Jack Frost...", Nanako whimpered, absolutely terrified, and looked from Bagman to her Shadow who were both staring at her. "I... I want to go back... Dad... Big Bro... I... I wanna go back home!"

Jack Frost let out a loud scream, and blue light shot out of his body and filled the whole dungeon, changing it more and more.

"It's reacting to the girl.", Bagman mumbled, looking at the changes that were happening in the dungeon, before he looked back at Nanako's Shadow who was already preparing another attack. "This is not good..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Rather annoyed, Shadow Rise who had now been robbed of her companion stared from from member of the Investigation Team to the other before her gaze turned to Shadow Adachi - just like everyone else's - who had turned back to his human form, slowly standing up again.

Chie and Kanji had already taken on battle position, ready to attack and finish him off completely.

"Stop!", Souji yelled at the two of them, making them look at him questioningly.

"Why? We've almost got him!", Chie protested.

"That's Adachi who you're about to attack!"

"His Shadow, yeah!", Kanji replied. "But if we don't attack him now-"

"Adachi.", Souji startd to speak and calmly took a step toward the former detective's Shadow that immediately took on battle position, despite his injuries.

"... Partner?", Yosuke asked the silver-haired Fool hesitantly.

"I can still feel the Aeon Social Link within me.", Souji said, gaze directed at Adachi's Shadow in front of him. "A Social Link completely vanishes once the person it belongs to dies. Adachi... is still somewhere inside that Shadow." He reached out to the Shadow with one of his hands, the Shadow pushing the offered hand to the side, losing its balance due to its wounds and falling to the ground.

Yosuke and Kanji were about to attack it.

"I said, NO!", Souji snapped at both of them and stared back at Shadow Adachi who slowly stood up again, wheezing, his yellow eyes glaring hatefully at Souji. "Adachi! Try to remember who you are!"

"I am a Shadow, the true self!", Shadow Adachi only yelled at him.

Souji looked at him for a while before he sighed deeply. "Fine..." A fast motion with his hand, and the tarot card that had appeared above him had been crushed. Izanagi appeared with a loud roar and pointed its sharp blade at Adachi's Shadow. "Then go!", Souji shouted at the Shadow. "Or do you really want me to destroy you here and now? The way you are now, severely injured, you have no chance of winning, and I swear I won't hold back if you attack!"

Shadow Adachi's gaze quickly wandered from Souji's face that left no doubt about the truth of his statement to Izanagi's sword before he growled: "You're going to regret this one day, Seta! I promise!"

And with that he completely vanished into the ground.

Silence, then...

"S-Souji-kun...", Fuuka hesitantly started to speak.

"We don't have any more time.", Souji interrupted her. "Nanako-chan needs us _now_!" He turned around and looked at Rise's Shadow, Izanagi immediately pointing its sword at the Shadow.

"What?", Rise's Shadow said, eyebrow raised. "Didn't I just tell you a moment ago that it's useless to try and attack me in this state? What are you, a completel moron?"

"Rise!", Souji now shouted at Rise who was still holding her head in pain. "I promised myself I would be more honest with you all from now on, and it's no lie when I tell you now that I absolutely don't care what you do: You either man up and accept that thing already, making it disappear, or you deny its existence, making it go berserk so that we can beat it to a pulp! I don't care which one you choose, but hurry the hell up!"

"S-senpai...", Rise started, disbelief written all over her face, and stared at Souji who was still looking so seriously at her and her Shadow.

"This is Nanako we're talking about here!", Souji continued to shout at her. "The girl who wants told you that she likes you just the way you are! Or did you forget about that already?"

"I...", Rise stammered, eyes huge now.

"Do you really want to disappoint her like that?"

Rise looked at the ground.

"Hah! Please, do you really think that this... this brat here is even remotely capable to think for herself?", Shadow Rise laughed at the silver-haired Fool gloatimngly. "Risette only lets her masks or her agency speak for her~! She can't do anything by herself~! Tee hee hee!", it continued with an annoying and childish voice.

"So what?", Rise suddenly shouted at her Shadow in anger who took a step back in confusion. "All of those masks are what I'm made of! Each and every one of them is part of me! If everyone around you is scared, then of course you sometimes have to keep your own sad feelings away and play the cheerful clown who makes everyone laugh again!" She took several steps towards her Shadow who took the same steps backwards, shaking its head. "There's absolutely no cowardice in slipping into one of these roles! I do this of my own free will, and my friends still know who's really underneath it, _because_ they're my _FRIENDS_! _You_ have no right to speak to me about being a hypocrite in any way! So get the hell back inside me, Me!"

Shadow Rise only stared at its original for a while with huges eyes before it started smiling in a somewhat annoyed way.

"Good work, Rise-chan! Good work, Souji-kun!", it spoke as it slowly sank back into the ground. "You play the game quite well..."

The moment the Shadow had completely vanished into the ground, a bright light shot through the real Rise, her Persona Himiko appearing behind her and slowly transforming into her ultimate Persona: Kanzeon.

"Hah! Hell yeah!", Kanji shouted and punched the air with his fist triumphantly. "Now I ain't the only one with a stronger Persona anymore! Awright!"

Rise folded her hands in front of her in concentration, Kanzeon already having layed its visor over her eyes. Several sparks shot out of antennas of the teenie idol's Persona, and the wall of earth that blocked their way onwards finally moved back into the ground again.

"Rise, I knew you could do it.", Souji said to her, relief evident on his face.

"Thanks, Senpai.", Rise answered, smiling, while still concentrating.

"Can you...", Souji started hesitantly.

"Already on it.", Rise mumbled as an answer, trying to do her best to locate Nanako in the TV world.

"If Rise-chan can't find her with even this beary strong Bearsona, then...", Teddie said worriedly.

"Don't worry, Teddie.", Fuuka tried to cheer him up. "I'm sure Rise-chan can-"

But she stopped when Rise shook her head miserably.

"Rise?", Souji asked her, the feeling of hope that had slowly started to spread out in his stomach immediately crushed again.

"I'm sorry, but... I just can't find her, even with this Persona...", Rise answered, bitter, although still scanning the area. "All this fog is just too thick. I can sense greater things like dungeons and such, but not smaller things like people..." She sighed. "But Adachi-san was right: The more people are thrown into this world and create dungeons, the thicker the fog becomes. And even with this limited scanning range I can still clearly see that it'll only take few more people and their dungeons before this world will finally burst and the Shadows will be able to run our world over..."

"Shit!", Kanji growled.

"And... I don't really know why, but it seems some places seem to be in a new position now.", Rise slowly continued.

"... New position?", Kou repeated questioningly.

"It's as if the TV world was made of several puzzle pieces that someone has arranged in a new order.", Rise explained, sweat running down her back now from concentrating and trying to see as much as possible through the fog.

"Could... Could that be what has just now happened a short while ago?", Souji asked the others. "The ground had shaken and suddenly turned around! That must have been Bagman!"

The others nodded in agreement.

"Rise! Can you tell us which places have been newly positioned?", Souji immediately asked the teenie idol.

"Just a moment...", Rise mumbled, concentrating again. "Yukiko's Castle... a place I don't know... Steamy Bathhouse... Prom Ball from Basket Hell... and Heaven!"

"Heaven!", Souji repeated triumphantly.

"You mean... Nanako-chan's inside her old dungeon?", Yosuke asked him.

"That's the only clue we got right now!", Souji said, the others nodding. "Okay, guys! Let's go!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Elizabeth looked up from her guarding position in front of the gate that had Minato Arisator's soul sealed inside and stared at her older sister. "Adachi's Shadow is now moving freely around the TV world. Should we...?", she started.

"Hmm...", Margaret only hummed thoughtfully.

"Adachi's Shadow? What exactly is going on?", Mrs. Hanamura asked curiously, not able to sense things going on in the TV world like the two sisters.

"It seems as though the presence of Adachi inside his Shadow has become pathetically small, and his Shadow has taken over completely.", Margaret explained with slight disgust. "It's now roaming freely throughout the TV world once again.

"Then... Then it could also get to this place, couldn't it?", Mrs. Hanamura asked and looked around the area, as if she was expecting Adachi's Shadow to pop out from the ground the next moment to jump at her. "That guy's absolutely disgusting! I'd say you should just blast him to oblivion!"

"We're not going to destroy anyone only because they disgust you, Hanamura.", Margaret calmly explained to her, although exchanging several deathglares with Yosuke's mother at the same time. "Besides..." She turned away from Mrs. Hanamura and looked back at her sister. "If we consider the Shadow's form that he had taken on when he went berserk, then..."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement. "Yes. Him taking on the form of Ameno-sagiri could be to our advantage."

"Hmm?" Mrs. Hanamura looked from one of them to the other. "What are you two talking about no-"

But she didn't get any further since she suddenly sank to the ground, gasping in pain.

"Hanamura-san!", Elizabeth shouted in slight worry and knelt down next to her.

"Hmph!", Margaret growled and stared at Mrs. Hanamura's eyes. "You shouldn't get so excited, Hanamura, or it'll be you that we have to destroy instead!"

Mrs. Hanamura only glared from her position on the ground as the older sister turned away from them in disgust.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Souji and his friends stared in disbelief at the once so beautiful entrance to Nanako's dungeon that was now completely ruined and led towards the deepest reaches of the earth, everything around them rotten and smelling moldily.

"What happened her...?", Chie mumbled in shock and stared at the remains of the archway that announced `Hell´ in blood-red letters.

Fuuka looked at the others doubtfully. "This is... Nanako's old dungeon?"

"It didn't use to look like this!", Kanji explained. "It looked like a story book version o' heaven back then!"

"This must have been Bagman's doing...", Souji mumbled darkly and entered the dungeon together with the others.

The friends had only taken a few steps towards the dark hallways of this unwelcoming place when suddenly a loud voice could be heard echoing around them.

"Hah! Who would have thought you'd be able to find your way here without Adachi-san, my dears!", Bagman's voice echoed through the hallways.

"Bagman! Where are you?", Souji immediately yelled and looked around in fury.

"Well, definitely not were you are. Rather a bit... deeper inside.", Bagman's voice answered in amusement.

"S-Souji-kun, what is...?", Fuuka started in confusion.

"Then get up here so I can break each and every one of your old rusty bones!", Souji continued to shout.

"Partner, what's wrong? Who are you talking to?", Yosuke asked him and layed a hand on Souji's shoulder.

"With Bagman, of course!", Souji snapped at him. "You can hear how he's making fun of us, after all!"

"B-but, Senpai...", Rise slowly said. "There's no one here."

"H-huh? But... his voice..."

"There's no voice, Souji-senpai.", Kanji interrupted him, shaking his head.

"What? But..."

But Souji didn't get any further since a circle made of dark energy suddenly started forming beneath them on the ground.

"Shit! Get back!", Chie shouted and jumped away from the circle together with the others, the circle getting bigger and bigger.

"Aagh!", Souji yelled the next moment when he fell foward into the circle.

"Sensei!", Teddie shouted in horror and tried to grab him.

But it was already to late: Several hands suddenly shot out of the circle, grabbed Souji and pulled him into the darkness.

The last thought that went through Souji's head as he sank deeper and deeper was: _`I don't know who, but... one of my friends... has just pushed me into the circe... But... who...?´_

He slowly closed his eyes as the hands pulled him downwards, deeper and deeper...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

When Souji managed to open his eyes, he found himself inside an absolutely dark cave inside Nanako's dungeon, some water slowly and constantly dripping down from the ceiling.

"Ugh... Damn, it smells really bad in here...", Souji mumbled after he had managed to stand up from the ground, and started wandering through the slippery wet cave.

_`I wonder if the others have been caught by the circle as well in the end...´_ His gaze hardened. _`Nanako-chan!´_

"Oh, my goodness! It looks like we have an unexpected visitor!", a voice suddenly laughed in amusement, its owner sitting on a rock behind Souji.

The Fool whirled around, his sword already drawn and ready to attack.

Nobody was sitting on the rock anymore.

"Where are you?", Souji shouted. "Get out, Bagman!"

"I may be rather old, but that's still no reason to shout like that, my dear.", someone suddenly said from directly behind him, and his eyes widened in shock. He whirled around lightning-fast, striking backwards with his sword, slicing through Bagman's throat. _`Got him!´_

But his eyes widened when Bagman only smiled and fell apart to water.

"What the...?" Startled, Souji looked around for the Shadow, when suddenly two giant hands made of water shot out of the wet ground and tried to grab him. "SHIT!" He managed to jump back in time, but tripped on the slippery ground and slid through the area, coming to a halt as he crashed against a wall.

"Ah hah hah hah... What an amusing stunt, my dear!", Bagman's voice could be heard in the whole cave.

"Where the hell are you?", Souji yelled in fury and stood up from the ground. Two hands made of water tried to grab him once again which he managed to barely dodge. "Grrr!", Souji growled and looked around, crunching his teeth, before his eyes widened and he looked at the slippery ground. "Can't be...!"

"So you finally understand, my dear!", he could hear Bagman laughing in amusement. "This whole little bit of water that's covering this area's ground: That's me!"

"How's that...?"

"These is the world inhabited by Shadows, my dear! Don't forget that!", Bagman happily continued to speak. "Once I reach this world, I can let loose all of my powers! It would be better for you to not compare me to that weak version of myself you've seen so far in the human world that was always desperately clinging to his cane!"

Souji felt something behind him and whirled around, but jumped to the side in shock when that something jumped over him and landed on his other side. The silver-haired Fool swung his sword at that thing, only to strike the air again. He looked around hectically, trying to spot the old Shadow, before he had to dodge another water hand.

"Ugh!", he growled and started stabbing the water he was standing in again and again, hoping to hit the old professor that way.

Bagman's amused laughs, followed by two more hands which he dodged by rolling to the side, were his only answer to that.

"Heh, is that all the Wielder of the Wild Card can do?", Souji heard someone laugh behind him and whirled around: Bagman had finally appeared on one of the many rocks in the cave and stared down at him disapprovingly. "I thought for sure that your powers would have at least somewhat returned, now that he has gotten some of his old strength back as well." He sighed. "It would seem that I was wrong."

"Who are you talking about?", Souji snapped at him. "And where's Nanako-chan?"

Bagman slowly slid to the ground. "Oh, Nanako-chan is currently in very good cate, my dear. Don't worry.", he replied.

"I doubt that!", Souji growled and stormed towards Bagman, sword raised.

The old Shadow only grinned as he watched Souji swinging his sword at him. An apparitional, sliver-white figure appeared protectively in front of Bagman and grabbed the Fool, making him come to a stop.

"What the...?", Souji shouted and gasp in horror when Bagman suddenly reached through the barrier and grabbed the Fool's hand that was holding the sword, twisting the hand from side to side until Souji finally let go of his weapon due to the pain.

"Hmm...", Bagman hummed and peacefully studied the sword while Souji cursed loudly and tried to get out of the grip the barrier currently had him in. "This sword's blacksmith has certainly done some very good work, I must admit." He knocked on the ground with his cane and immediately kicked Souji in the stomach, the Fool being explosively thrown through the room and crashing against one of the stone walls. "Catch!", the old Shadow shouted and threw the sword directly at Souji who was able to roll to the side just in time. There was a blood-curdling clangor when the sword crashed against the stone wall and shattered to pieces. "Not as good a work as I thought... How disappointing.", Bagman said, shaking his head. "Well, one more worthless toy less for to try your luck with against me, I guess."

"You...!", Souji growled and stood up again, staggering a bit. His hand hurriedly reached above him and grabbed the shining blue tarot card that had appeared, crushing it. "IZANAGI!"

Bagman's grin turned as broad as it had never been before. "And that, my dear, as exactly what I wanted you to do by smashing that worthless piece of crap and rendering it useless!", he laughed triumphantly, his yellow eyes suddenly turned silver as Souji's eyes turned from silver to yellow.

"What is- Aaaaaargh!", Souji shouted, the same pain he had felt when they had entered the TV world a few hours ago back again, spreading throughout his whole body, and he slowly sank to the ground. Izanagi who had appeared above him pointed its sword at him with a loud roar.

"And there's no one here to help you this time, too! IZANAGI!", Bagman screeched, his voice full of rapture, before his right arm suddenly turned to blue liquid that immediately clung to Izanagi's sword. "DO IT!"

Izanagi let out a loud scream scream, ramming his sword right into Souji's head, the Fool letting out a blood-curdling scream of pain, as loud as never before, his whole body vibrating and glowing.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! GAAAAAAAAH! AHHH- AAAAAAAAH!"

"Hmmhmm...", Bagman chuckled while walking towards Souji, his arm rebuilding itself. "Does it hurt?", he asked the silver-haired Fool who was lying on the ground screaming and screaming as his Persona's sword was drilled deeper and deeper into his head. He forced up Souji's chin so that the Fool had to look up at him. "I bet it does. Right, my dear?"

And as Souji screamed and screamed and stared into the laughing face of Bagman, he could suddenly see himself on the ground, as if he was staring through Bagman's eyes, and absolute happiness seemed to be added to his pain and despair, as if he could feel Bagman's happiness for himself.

"I... I...", Souji managed to croak out. The pain become more and more intense, the happiness more and more, and he felt as if he was about to go crazy. He couldn't stand it any more. He just wanted it to end already. He... "KILL ME!"

"Ahahahahahahahaha!", Bagman laughed excitedly, and suddenly everything stopped for Souji: The Pain. The Happiness. Each and every feeling, gone. Just endless nothingness... Just seeing Bagman kneeling above him, and at the same time seeing himself lying on the ground, half dead... "I won't give you that satisfaction today, I'm afraid, my dear.", Bagman whispered into his ear, before he kicked him against one of the walls again where he eventually slid to the ground, having reached his limit...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

There was a loud explosion when Bagman and Shadow Nanako's attacks met in the air, the whole room and the protective glowing barrier that Jack Frost had created around him and Nanako shaking violently.

"Ahahahahaha!", Bagman cackled as he shot towards the room. "The wonders of Alchemy! I love it!" He swung his cane, and dozens of rings of fire shot at Nanako's Shadow who hurriedly vanished into the ground, reappeared behind Bagman and managed to hit him with an Almighty attack. Bagman fell apart to stones that turned to small, arrow-like projectiles that shot at the Shadow that had to save itself by disappearing into the ground once again.

"I'm here, my dear! Right here!", Bagman's voice could be heard inside the room before one of the walls turned into the old professor. "I don't think it's going to be that easy for you, my dear..." He grinned. "Alchemy really is the way to go!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Head pounding violently, Souji awakened once more on the wet and slippery ground of the Hell dungeon.

"Ugh... Damn that Bagman...", he groaned and touched his head which seemed to still be in one peace. "I guess... I'm still alive...?"

"Seems like it.", a male voice said behind him.

He whirled around and managed to spot someone a little bit away from him in the darkness. "Who...?", he started, but stopped when he recognised the person that was slowly getting closer and closer. "Yosuke! There's finally someone of you here!", he said, relieved, and ran towards the music-loving man. "Do you know where the others are? We really have to get going and-" But he stopped when he noticed Yosuke's slight grin. "... What?"

"Oh, nothing... _`Partner´_?", Yosuke said, voice condescending. "Just that you think you're actually going to be leaving this place."

"What do you...?"

"Baggy's really good for nothing! That old idiot had the _perfect_ chance to get you out of the, and he didn't use it! Has that old fart really become _that_ senile?", Yosuke growled, annoyed.

Souji just stared at him, not really understanding what Yosuke was getting at.

"Oh, come now, Souji! I thought you were smarter than this!", Yosuke laughed. "Who was the one who immediately nodded in agreement when you decided that only Fuuka, Rise, Teddie and me were going to enter the TV world? ME! Who was it that had stood directly behind you when that circle had appeared in Nanako-chan's dungeon? ME! Who was it that had shoved you into said circle? ME! Who was it that had shoved all those innocent people inside the TV world? ME, OF COURSE!"

"... You...?", Souji stammered. "But... But... That ca-"

"Can't be, huh?", Yosuke ended his sentence for him, amused. "Wasn't you the one who immediately suspected me when I had vanished sometimes without telling anyone where I was? Huh? HUH? That was you, wasn't it? Am I right or am I right?"

"That... may be, but you-"

"I explained everything to you, didn't I?", Yosuke ended his sentence for him once again and started laughing. "Oooh, of course you got an explanation from me! I had to get you to stop suspecting me somehow, after all!" He sighed dreamily. "It was sooo easy to bribe that poor idiot Nikita and get him to play along! And don't you agree that I'm a rather good actor? After all, you really believed it when I had acted as if I was mumbling Nikita's name while sleeping! Ahahaha!"

"Wha-?", Souji continued to splutter.

"Money can really buy you anything, can't it? Even a nice alibi like this.", Yosuke chuckled, a malicious glint in his eyes. "And ever since my _`father´_ has started to practically throw money at me to make me forget that my mother has disappeared, it's become even easier to get whatever I want!"

"I... I can't...", Souji stammered, his hands balled to fists. "... Bastard! Why?"

"`Why´, what? Why did I start throwing people's souls inside the TV?", Yosuke said. "Hah, that's simple! You should already know the answer since my Shadow'd given it years ago! `If all went well, hey, maybe you could even be a hero´!" A broad grin. "It's really true that a Shadow always represents people's true self: Playing hero! Having adventures! Fun everywhere! These are my motives for doing it, _`Partner´_!"

"So that you have your fun?", Souji snarled. "You're just as disgusting as Adachi!"

"Oooh, no, no, no, _`Partner´_! It's not really nice to compare me to this asshole!", Yosuke disagreed. "After all, I'm always saving the victims that get thrown in, aren't I? Adachi had just let them die here!"

"Yes, just like Saki!", Souji growled. "You're doing exactly what had almost cost her her life! Feels good, doesn't, Bastard?"

"Don't care.", Yosuke merely said and sighed. "After I had thought she had died, everything had just become so... meaningless. I had promised myself not to think about her anymore, letting go and just live my life normally again. But in the end it didn't help at all. Everything I did had just become more and more worthless. But at least I can have some fun here in the TV world..."

"And thus you forget that you could have had a future with Ikas, the new Saki."

"What do I care about a woman that's lost all of her memories; a woman that's only a shell of her former self!", Yosuke growled. "I will continue to push people's souls into the TV and then save them like the hero I am! And by making you disappear from the stage I will make sure that my fun won't come to an end!" He grinned again. "And you were such a good pawn in all of this! Too bad!" He drew his daggers while Souji wanted to grab his sword before he remembered that Bagman had already destroyed it. Instead he took one of the pieces of his sword that seemed to still be sharp enough.

"Yosuke...", Souji mumbled, ready to attack.

"Just one last word of advice, _`Partner´_.", Yosuke said when suddenly a stormy aura started to appear around him. "Don't underestimate me. That would be your immediate end!"

"Huh-"

Just a second later one of the daggers was thrown at Souji, lightning-fast, only missing its targets by inches since Souji had managed to move to the side in time.

"What the...?", Souji stammered, puzzled, and blocked an attack by Yosuke who had jumped at him and tried to stab him with his other dagger. He shoved the brown-haired man to the side and was just about to counter when he felt something behind him. Whirling around, he spotted a razor-sharp fan flying at him just in time. He rolled to the side, dodged another thrown dagger from Yosuke, jumped up and blocked the next fan that had been thrown by none other than Yukiko Amagi who had just now entered the area. "Yukiko?", Souji said, absolutely confused now, while dodging her fan attacks. "How did you get here? And without a Persona?"

"My accomplice through and through!", Yosuke chuckled behind him, and he had just about enough time to let himself fall to the ground to dodge both attacks from the front and from behind.

"What? You two?"

"Wasn't really hard to get her to come over to my side!", Yosuke chuckled. "She despises you enough already since she had to go through all those depressions thanks to you!"

"You two...!", Souji yelled at them in fury.

"Do you know the myth surrounding Jiraiya?", Yosuke suddenly asked him as the ground started to shake.

"Jiraiya? What...?"

"I'm talking about my Persona Jiraiya here!", Yosuke chuckled. "According to myths Jiraiya was also known as Lord of the toads!"

Yosuke had just finished his sentence when the ground beneath the brown-haired man was torn open, and a big lake started to pour forth. A gigantic toad shot out of it as well, Yosuke and Yukiko riding on it.

"What the...?", Souji shouted and jumped back more and more in order to avoid falling into the lake that was spreading out inside the cave more and more.

"No escape!", Yosuke cackled, the toad's extremely long tongue grabbing Souji. The silver-haired man was whirled around, crashing against several stalactites, before the toad finally threw him into the deep lake into which he slowly sank deeper and deeper.

_`Yosuke... and Yukiko...´_, he thought. _`Our enemy... was so close to us this whole time... heard everything... I just can't...´_

Someone roughly grabbed his hair and pulled him out of the lake. He coughed out the water that he had swallowed, about to sink into the welcoming embrace of unconsciousness once again... his eyes heavier and heaver...

"Hey! Don't just fall asleep here!", the person that was grabbing his hair snapped.

He was suddenly wide awake, his eyes widened and staring at the grinning face of Chie Satonaka who was holding his hair.

"Ch-"

"Hello, sunshine!", Chie chuckled, grin getting broader.

_`... How is she able to walk on wat-´_, Souji thought, his mind absolutely refusing to accept that apparently each and everyone of his friends had betrayed him, and rather focused on the fact that Chie was abloe to walk on water. His gaze wandered to her feet that were standing on ice. _`Her Persona's affecting the area?´_

"HAVE FUN SOARING THROUGH THE AIR!", Chie shouted and kicked him away from her, towards the lake's shore.

"Ugh...", Souji groaned as his body connected with the groaned, and slowly stood up again, like in slow motion.

"Comin' through!", some suddenly yelled. Some kind of thunder bolt crashed right into the place where Souji had been standing, and smashed him to the side.

Once again Souji's eyes widened as he spotted the `thunder bolt´ that had just now crashed right into him: Kanji Tatsumi.

"Why...?", he stammered, absolutely desperate now, and tried to stand up once again, only to sink down to his knees.

"Because you don't deserve to be treated any other way.", a voice behind him said, so full of hatred that it made cold showers run down his back. There was a quiet `click´ as a revolver was pressed against his temple: Naoto Shirogane had just now entered the stage. Sweat ran down Souji's forehead, unable to move. "Do you even know how much I've longed to see you on the ground like this, your whole body shaking in fear, Seta?", Naoto said, her voice and excited snarl. "This is exactly what you deserve: Being treated the exact same way you've treated as this whole time, like dirt!" Her voice became louder and louder while the hand that was holding the revolver started shaking in fury. "You who's only used us for your Social Links! You who's only played around with us day in and day out! Did you really think we would forgive just like this!"

"Naoto, please-", Souji pleaded and dared to look behind him: Her eyes were like daggers, full of deepest hatred.

"I don't want to hear any more of your excuses!", Naoto yelled at him. "I've had enough of them! IT'S OVER, SETA!"

The shot that followed when Naoto pulled the trigger several moments later echoed loudly through the hallways of the whole dungeon.


	108. Chapter 106: Yu Narukami: Like

_**Chapter 106: Yu Narukami - Hiro Like Version**_

**Author's notes: It's that time again: If you've chosen the versions in which Souji is on Hiro's side (Hiro Like Version), then this is the version you'll have to read this time.**

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A bullet hole... deeper and deeper... hotter and hotter... his blood starting to boil more and more...

Silence...

Nothingness...

Souji Seta continued to stare at the ground with huge eyes, only seeing red around him, the loud BANG of Naoto's revolver still echoing through the whole cave.

"I... I...", Souji stammered and crashed to the ground, body overwhelmed by nausea.

He had exactly felt the bullet drill itself into his head, deeper and deeper, until it had finally shot out of the other side of his head; he could even feel the hole! He could see the bullet that had shot him lie on the ground! He could feel the blood gushing out in streams, down his face! So why...?

_`Why... am I not dead yet..?´_

"Because you still have to suffer a bit, it seems.", a child's voice replied, as if it had read his thoughts.

Souji groaned as he was suddenly turned around on his back by being kicked rather violently, and he stared up, his face contorted with pain, at a small boy who was holding a teddy bear that looked really eaten away, standing around him in a circle together with the rest of the Investigation Team

"Who...?", Souji mumbled feebly and tried taking a better look at the boy despite the immense pain he was feeling: He had silver hair, silver eyes that looked completely devoid of any emotions, as if every happiness had disappeared out of them years ago. The boy reminded him of- "... Me?"

The boy - Souji as a child - only nodded as an answer.

"Heh...", Souji choked out and smiled awkwardly, closing his eyes. "Messiah..."

"Correct.", the younger version of Souji answered.

"So...", Souji wheezed and looked at the Investigation Team members. "... those are only copies again?"

"Oh, not this time, no.", the Messiah answered and shook his head. "I can only create copies if my physical body is there as well. And that one is, as you should already know, locked up behind that gate. These here..." He motioned at Souji's former friends. "... are all real. Although the room we're currently standing in is not."

"... Huh?"

"Messiah's made a deal with us.", Yosuke explained, delighted. "If we were to do him a little favor, he would open a pathway to your mind so that we could slowly start taking you down."

"My mind...?", Souji repeated, confused.

"The moment Baggy opened a pathway to your inner self with Izanagi's help, I was able to get inside you as well.", the Messiah replied. "I was able to become your Shadow inside your mind where Philemon's powers are completely locked out. It was easy, really, to get your `friends´ to come here as well and beat you to a pulp. They are going to get their revenge, and I will finally have you out of my way.

Souji slowly opened his mouth and tried to say something.

"Huh? Speak up a bit. I can't hear a thing.", the Messiah said and leaned down so that he could hear Souji better.

"... You... need... me...", he could hear some of Souji's words.

"Oh, that. Well, that _was_ the case.", the Messiah answered. "But now that Baggy has opened a pathway into your mind, things look a bit different, ya see. This way I can get rid of you without killing you." He leaned down even further so that only Souji could hear him now. "Do you know what is going to happen to you if you keep on getting hurt and tortured in here?" Souji looked at him in confusion through his barely opened eyes. "You can't die if that happens inside your mind, no. But your thoughts and your whole being will eventually completely ripped apart so that only your shell will remain in the end, meaning you will practically be braindead once we're finished with you. And do you know what is going to happen to you then? Well, let me tell you.", he continued and leaned even further down, almost touching Souji's ear with his lips. "For the people standing watch at the gate you will be completely useless in that braindead state. And they will start thinking: `Hey, we got a worthless Fool and a Fool that's still of use, but who is locked up inside that gate!´ Do you know what that means?"

Souji's eyes widened while the nausea continued spreading through his body.

"You will be replaced with Arisato!", the Messiah continued speaking triumphantly. "And the moment they are pulling out Arisato's soul out of that gate will be the moment I will _finally_ be free!"

"N-no-", Souji started, groaning, while the Messiah reached behind himself and took something from Yukiko.

"Hold your head over here for a moment.", the Messiah said and forced Souji's head upwards so that he had to look at him. With one hand he held Souji's face in place, with the other one he luxuriously raised a very sharp-looking pair of scissors.

In panic, already knowing what was going to happen, Souji closed his eyes with a whimper, although they were forced open again seconds later by two members of the Investigation Team.

"Don't worry, I'll be veeery gentle.", the Messiah promised him happily. "And just a reminder: You can't die inside your mind. So just relax~."

Souji's loud screams of pain echoed through the whole cave as the Messiah first stabbed through his left eye with the scissors, then through his right eye, accompanied by the loud laughs of amusement by his former friends.

"Wh... Why?", Souji managed to yell, his eyesight completely gone now, the world around him cast into deep darkness.

"Because you don't the deserve it any other way, like I've already told you!", Naoto angrily answered from behind him before he was suddenly and very violently forced to stand up.

He hobbled from one side to the other, his shot head still hurting like hell, without any orientation at all due to your now blind eyes. He was punched from all sides again and again, fell to the ground and was forced up again, only to fall right back down after taking a few hits.

_`Why... Why...?´_, was the only thing he was able to think while he was punched through the cave by all of his friends. _`Everything I ever wanted was to get through this huge ordeal lying in front of us... __**together**__ with my friends... and now this... Why?´_

A hook to the chin - probably done by Kanji, judging from the strength - send him flying through the room until he crashed against a wall. The laughter of the Investigatiom Team rang inside Souji's head as he tried to stand up from the ground once more.

"Very commendable! You really don't give up!", he could hear the Messiah say near him. "But I wonder how long you'll be able to keep this up before your will is finally broken to pieces!" He got kicked in the side, making him reeling backwards. "Just realize already that there's absolutely no chance to get out of this situation this time! The only way out for you would be for you to wake up in the reality outside, but the more injured you get in here, the smaller that chance becomes! And the only ones who could wake you up by force outside - your `friends´ - are all gathered here! It's hopeless!"

Souji tried punching the space from where he could hear the Messiah's voice coming, but he only hit the air and fell to the ground.

He wanted to stand up one last time, ready to just give up if he was punched to the ground again, when he suddenly heard some loud screams around him.

_`What is...?´_, he thought, dumbfounded, someone falling down to the ground near him the next moment.

"Who the hell's that?", he could hear Kanji yell in anger.

He was grabbed by someone moments later and pushed to the ground, and he could the Messiah's voice near him that loudly yelled "DIE!" before the someone that had grabbed him - probably the Messiah himself - was thrown to the side.

He was grabbed again by someone seconds later, this time very gently instead. The person that was holding him now abruptly threw him over their shoulders, making him shout in surprise, and started jumping around the room with him.

He could hear more explosions, loud screams - of pain and fury - and felt the ground violently shaking. All the while the person carrying him continued to jump around the cave until he was finally sat down on the ground, feeling the slightly wheezing breath of that person on his face.

"Who...?", Souji started, then shouted in pain as the person forced open his eyes and touched them with his fingers.

"Hush. It'll be over in a sec, I promise.", the person whose voice he didn't know at all said to him with a gentle voice and just as gently rubber over his eyes that slowly started to see more and more again.

"Who...?", Souji spoke again and tried to take a look at the person with eyes that were now able to see everything around blurrily.

_`Silver eyes...´_, he thought, staring in the eyes of the stranger who turned around the next moment and threw something into the battlefield.

Several loud screams could be heard from the Messiah and the others.

The person turned around to Souji again, knelt down and gently smiled at him.

"Who...?", Souji asked a third time.

"Yu Narukami.", the stranger named Yu Narkumai introduced himself to the silver-haired Fool before he suddenly lunged forward and gently hugged a completely surprised Souji. "I... I've wanted to meet you for so long, Souji!"

Souji's first impulse was to just shove that man away from him as far as possible, but something strange inside of him allowed the hug to continue.

And suddenly a bright light flashed through the silver-haired Fool, and it was as if he was suddenly standing at an unknown place that kept changing, as if he was zapping through TV channels in rapid succession:

_"... Minato... kun?", a completely exhausted Yukari Takeba asked and looked up at the person standing in the deep yellow fog in front of her, lying his hand gently on her forehead. She smiled and closed her eyes in relief._

_- Zap -_

_"Souji, what...?", Kou Ichijo barely managed to choke out as Souji Seta continued to slowly choke him to death._

_"DO IT!"_

_- Zap -_

_The souls of all the children around him screamed as he fell deeper and deeper until he finally landed on the ground in front of the mirror where his Shadow was already waiting for him with an unreadable expression._

_"So...", Shadow Souji said to him while he took a step forward to the mirror. "You finally decided to destroy Philemon's seal?"_

_"Of course.", Souji spoke, coming to a halt directly in front of the mirror, and stared at his other self's yellow eyes. "After all, I am you, and you are me."_

_"Heh!", his other self only grunted in amusement and swung his fist at the mirror, Souji doing the same with his fist, and both of them smashed the seal for good._

_- Zap -_

_Souji Seta looked up with absolute panic at the giant that was now standing in front of him._

_"But...", he stammered. "No, I never said that you're not m-"_

_"I am a Shadow, the true self!", the being spoke with his voice that was completely contorted._

- Zap -

_"His weakness is fire, Big Bro!", Nanako yelled through the battlefield while the friends tried to dodge the Shadow's attacks as best as possible._

_"But... we don't have anyone who can use Agi spells! And my `Infuse´ spells aren't strong enough to get through his barriers!", Fuuka shouted in despair._

_"But we __**do **__have someone...", Yukiko mumbled and took some steps through the protective barrier._

_"Yukiko-senpai! No!", Naoto shouted in horror and tried to hold her back together with Kanji's help, but it was already too late: Shadow Yukiko had already appeared, its heavy weights violently crashing to the ground, and stared down hungrily at its original._

- ... -

The strange zapping suddenly ended again and Souji looked up at the man named Yu Narukami in confusion. Narukami had already let go of him and was waiting for Souji to get back to his senses, blocking the attacks thrown by the Investigation Team members in the meantime.

"So you saw it, didn't you?", Narukami asked him.

"... Huh?" Souji looked at him, puzzled, and slowly stood up again. The wounds to his head had all healed up as well.

"The visions shown by Ebisu.", Narukami explained to him.

"Ebisu?", Souji immediately repeated. "Wait, you know Ebisu?"

Narukami nodded, smiling. "Ebisu has always watched over humanity's fate in the stars in order to see the things that might happen in future.", he replied. "He is the one moving things along in the desired direction."

"... the desired direction?", Souji only repeated, not really understanding what the stranger was talking about.

Narukami nodded again. "Both worlds - the human world and the TV world - are monitored by a greater power that decides each and every individual's destiny. You could say that this power is the cradle where everything that exists is born.", he spoke. "Ebisu and I... we both wish to speak with that greater power. We both want to see it with our own eyes!" His smile turned more gentle again. "But even greater was my wish... to finally see you... Souji."

"Me? But why...?", Souji started, but Narukami had already turned away from him, face serious now, as he was staring at the Investigation Team members and the Messiah that were already planning some new attacks.

"I'm sure you still haven't noticed it, right?", Narukami said.

"... Huh?"

"The place we're currently inside is your mind, yes. But none of the people you in front of us are real. Not your friends, and also not that thing calling himself the Messiah."

"Then-"

"Yes.", Narukami said and nodded. "After that professor's Shadow had knocked you unconscious, he had cast some sort of hypnosis over you. All of this is just an illusion that's supposed to make you stay inside the dungeon, away from the girl until his plans are finally finished. All of this here is born from your deepest fears - Yosuke-san being the culprit after all; your friends still not having forgiven you and wanting you dead; the Messiah using you as a replacement for Arisato - having taken on physical form inside your mind. Your friends that have also been caught by the professor's Shadow are also currently expierencing their worst fears."

"Grrr!", Souji growled and looked down at the illusions of the Messiah and his friends. "Bagman...!"

The next moment Narukami suddenly jumped from the big rock they were standing on, lightning-fast, and shot through the crowd of enemies, punching one after another to the side before he reached the other side of the cave, a tarot card appearing above him that he immediately crushed, and screamed: "MAGATSU IZANAGI!"

Souji's eyes widened as the dark version of Izanagi shot out of Narukami and flew through the battlefield, crushing all of the enemies that looked like Investigation Team members, and finally destroying the copy of the Messiah with an almighty attack.

"Yu! Who the hell are you?", Souji asked the other man who only smiled and waved at him as an answer while everything around Souji started to slowly fade away. "No! Yu, wait! I want to know what-"

But he didn't get any further since was suddenly engulfed by a white light that took him away from the cave...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

He suddenly found himself sitting on the cold ground of the cave in Nanako's dungeon leaning against the stone wall that Bagman had punched him against before had lost consciousness. He jumped up immediately, startling Bagman who was sitting in the centre of the cave, the whole Investigation Team sleeping on the ground around him.

"What? But how...?", Bagman stammered before he was thrown to the side by Izanagi who had been summoned by Souji. "Ugh! That can't be...!" Bagman looked around in confusion. "Who helped you? Who...?"

A Zionga spell from Izanagi was thrown at him and forced him to disappear into the ground.

Souji looked around hectically, but it didn't look as if the old Shadow was coming back. He was just about to go over to his friends to wake them up when he suddenly felt some kind of jolt in his body.

"What...?", he mumbled and looked around anew.

There was nobody here except him and his friends.

But what Souji hadn't noticed was the brown-haired person that was standing not very far away in the cave's Shadow, panting and staring at Souji in disbelief.

"Why...?", Hiro Sideu managed to choke out, voice hoarse and sweat running down his forehead. "Why... did I help him...? I..." But he shook his head and looked quite grim as he slowly walked away, back to the human world.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It took some moments until Souji had finally freed all of his friends from Bagman's hypnosis - Teddie just didn't want to wake up at all -, but in the end they all stood wide awake inside the cave in Nanako's dungeon, everyone's faces all pale, and stared at each other, bodies still shaking a bit.

"So in other words, that asshole just confronted us with our greatest fears.", Kou guessed from what everyone had to tell about their experiences with Bagman's hypnosis.

"Yap. And we've just lost valuable time due to that.", Souji added before he quickly and guiltily looked at Yosuke whom he had still suspected as being the culprit somewhere deep down. He startled a bit as he looked at the music-loving man's face that was still contorted in fear, unconsciouclsy rubbing his right arm the whole time (where the strange greenish-black bruise was that only Yosuke himself and Saki knew about). "... Everything alright, Yosuke?", he asked the other man who didn't react for a few seconds at first before he slowly looked up and nodded, whimpering a bit.

Rise had summoned her Persona Kanzeon in the meantime and was scanning the area. "Well, I still can't sense any smaller things like people or something like that, but I can definitely tell that there are some powerful energies further beneath us.", she finally said and turned towards the direction behind them.

"And that's were we're gonna find Bagman and Nanako-chan.", Souji said and immediately hurried up to get further inside the dungeon, followed by the others, Yosuke whose body still shuddered like crazy being the last one to follow.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A few minutes of wandering through the old, scary-looking dungeon later the friends came to a halt again in front of a huge house that was so absolutely colourful that it looked completely out of place in here.

"What... is that?", Chie stammered, staring in confusion at the colourful house which was producing a strange blue glow.

"`Daddy... Nanako... and mommy´...", Fuuka read from the door of the house through which they had to wander if they wanted to get farther into the dungeon.

Souji sighed deeply. "So she still... Nanako-chan...", he said miserably, slowly opened the entrance door and took a step inside, only to immediately crash against an invisible wall that threw him back outside. "What the...?" He rubbed his now aching nose and tried entering again just to get thrown out anew.

"Hmm...", Fuuka hummed and slowly entered the house.

Nothing happened to her.

"What?", Souji stammered, puzzled, entered a third time and was also thrown out a third time. "HEY!"

Teddie also took a careful step inside the house and was immediately thrown out as well.

Slightly confused, Fuuka went outside and tried entering the house again.

Nothing happened to her.

"Why can Yamagishi-sensei enter, but not me and Teddie? Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?", Souji snarled and angrily looked around until he found a very small signpost made of wood near the house that read: `Women only´.

Souji stared at the signpost in disbelief for a moment before he slowly turned his gaze to Yosuke who stared back in bewilderment before his eyes widened in horror.

"Oh, hell no! No, no, and no way in hell!", the music-loving man yelled frantically, understanding what Souji was thinking about, and jumped back together with Kanji in panic while Teddie jumped up and down in happiness and Kou only stared at them curiously.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Naoto, Patty and Saki immediately jumped up from their seats in Naoto's lounge when Souji and the others suddenly came jumping out of the TV.

"Where is Nanako-chan?", Naoto immediately asked, but her only answer to that was Yosuke throwing the `Women only´ signpost right in front of her feet. "... And what exactly is that?"

"Fuck my life!", Yosuke growled and stomped out of the room, towards his lounge.

"A... And you're really sure... that I'm going t-to look b-beautiful?", Kou asked hesitantly as he was nudged by Chie towards his lounge.

"Oooh, of course you will!", Chie answered, grabbing a puzzled Saki while walking through the lounge and continuing onwards with her and Kou.

"Ch-Chie-san...?", the bespectacled student asked her.

"Yosuke really needs your help in his and your lounge, Saki-chan~.", Chie only said, barely able to hide the evil smirk. "But first I have to give you some instructions on how to make him as pretty as possible."

Naoto was shoved by Teddie towards the blond Shadow's lounge in the meantime. "What is going on here?", the young detective tried to asked, completely confused by what was suddenly going on, but turned on her complete bitch mode when she saw a giggling Rise dragging Kanji along with her. "KANJI TATSUMI! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH ANOTHER WOMAN!"

"Err... uh...", Kanji only spluttered in embarrassment while he was pushed further down the hallways.

"Come on, Naoto! We still have beary much to do!", Teddie happily interrupted him and dragged a loudly protesting Naoto with him.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

About an hour later one male Investigation Team member after another re-entered Naoto's lounge in their Miss Yasogami High outfits, all of their faces except Teddie's beet-red, all of the women laughing at them like crazy.

"I-I'm... absolutely _not_ beautiful at all...", Kou whimpered, this being the first time he actually had to wear a costume like that.

"Aww, don't cry, Kou-senpai~! You're just gonna ruin your make-up like that!", Rise giggled in amusement.

"But he's absolutely right! Ain't lookin' pretty at all! More like a really ugly Parison Hilton double!", Kanji laughed at the Basketball-loving man who indeed looked like a really bad copy of the It Girl, complete with an oversized pink handbag.

"You shut your trap, you ugly wanna-be Marylin Monroe!", Kou snapped at him which immediately made him shut up.

Souji was studying the sword he had kept in reserve, sighing deeply and re-arranging his fake long hair in annoyance. This sword was absolutely not as good as the one Bagman had smashed just a while ago, but it had to do for now.

He took a moment staring Yosuke who was currently angrily whacking a happily bouncing Teddie before he walked towards the TV screen and said: "Okay, ladies! Let's go!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!", was Yosuke's immediate reply to that.


	109. Chapter 106: Inner battle: Hate

_**Chapter 106: Inner battle - Hiro Hate Version**_

**Author's notes: It's that time again: If you've chosen the versions in which Souji is against (Hiro Hate Version), then this is the version you'll have to read this time.**

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A bullet hole... deeper and deeper... hotter and hotter... his blood starting to boil more and more...

Silence...

Nothingness...

Souji Seta continued to stare at the ground with huge eyes, only seeing red around him, the loud BANG of Naoto's revolver still echoing through the whole cave.

"I... I...", Souji stammered and crashed to the ground, body overwhelmed by nausea.

He had exactly felt the bullet drill itself into his head, deeper and deeper, until it had finally shot out of the other side of his head; he could even feel the hole! He could see the bullet that had shot him lie on the ground! He could feel the blood gushing out in streams, down his face! So why...?

_`Why... am I not dead yet..?´_

"Because you still have to suffer a bit, it seems.", a child's voice replied, as if it had read his thoughts.

Souji groaned as he was suddenly turned around on his back by being kicked rather violently, and he stared up, his face contorted with pain, at a small boy who was holding a teddy bear that looked really eaten away, standing around him in a circle together with the rest of the Investigation Team

"Who...?", Souji mumbled feebly and tried taking a better look at the boy despite the immense pain he was feeling: He had silver hair, silver eyes that looked completely devoid of any emotions, as if every happiness had disappeared out of them years ago. The boy reminded him of- "... Me?"

The boy - Souji as a child - only nodded as an answer.

"Heh...", Souji choked out and smiled awkwardly, closing his eyes. "Messiah..."

"Correct.", the younger version of Souji answered.

"So...", Souji wheezed and looked at the Investigation Team members. "... those are only copies again?"

"Oh, not this time, no.", the Messiah answered and shook his head. "I can only create copies if my physical body is there as well. And that one is, as you should already know, locked up behind that gate. These here..." He motioned at Souji's former friends. "... are all real. Although the room we're currently standing in is not."

"... Huh?"

"Messiah's made a deal with us.", Yosuke explained, delighted. "If we were to do him a little favor, he would open a pathway to your mind so that we could slowly start taking you down."

"My mind...?", Souji repeated, confused.

"The moment Baggy opened a pathway to your inner self with Izanagi's help, I was able to get inside you as well.", the Messiah replied. "I was able to become your Shadow inside your mind where Philemon's powers are completely locked out. It was easy, really, to get your `friends´ to come here as well and beat you to a pulp. They are going to get their revenge, and I will finally have you out of my way.

Souji slowly opened his mouth and tried to say something.

"Huh? Speak up a bit. I can't hear a thing.", the Messiah said and leaned down so that he could hear Souji better.

"... You... need... me...", he could hear some of Souji's words.

"Oh, that. Well, that _was_ the case.", the Messiah answered. "But now that Baggy has opened a pathway into your mind, things look a bit different, ya see. This way I can get rid of you without killing you." He leaned down even further so that only Souji could hear him now. "Do you know what is going to happen to you if you keep on getting hurt and tortured in here?" Souji looked at him in confusion through his barely opened eyes. "You can't die if that happens inside your mind, no. But your thoughts and your whole being will eventually completely ripped apart so that only your shell will remain in the end, meaning you will practically be braindead once we're finished with you. And do you know what is going to happen to you then? Well, let me tell you.", he continued and leaned even further down, almost touching Souji's ear with his lips. "For the people standing watch at the gate you will be completely useless in that braindead state. And they will start thinking: `Hey, we got a worthless Fool and a Fool that's still of use, but who is locked up inside that gate!´ Do you know what that means?"

Souji's eyes widened while the nausea continued spreading through his body.

"You will be replaced with Arisato!", the Messiah continued speaking triumphantly. "And the moment they are pulling out Arisato's soul out of that gate will be the moment I will _finally_ be free!"

"N-no-", Souji started, groaning, while the Messiah reached behind himself and took something from Yukiko.

"Hold your head over here for a moment.", the Messiah said and forced Souji's head upwards so that he had to look at him. With one hand he held Souji's face in place, with the other one he luxuriously raised a very sharp-looking pair of scissors.

In panic, already knowing what was going to happen, Souji closed his eyes with a whimper, although they were forced open again seconds later by two members of the Investigation Team.

"Don't worry, I'll be veeery gentle.", the Messiah promised him happily. "And just a reminder: You can't die inside your mind. So just relax~."

Souji's loud screams of pain echoed through the whole cave as the Messiah first stabbed through his left eye with the scissors, then through his right eye, accompanied by the loud laughs of amusement by his former friends.

"Wh... Why?", Souji managed to yell, his eyesight completely gone now, the world around him cast into deep darkness.

"Because you don't the deserve it any other way, like I've already told you!", Naoto angrily answered from behind him before he was suddenly and very violently forced to stand up.

He hobbled from one side to the other, his shot head still hurting like hell, without any orientation at all due to your now blind eyes. He was punched from all sides again and again, fell to the ground and was forced up again, only to fall right back down after taking a few hits.

_`Why... Why...?´_, was the only thing he was able to think while he was punched through the cave by all of his friends. _`Everything I ever wanted was to get through this huge ordeal lying in front of us... __**together**__ with my friends... and now this... Why?´_

A hook to the chin - probably done by Kanji, judging from the strength - send him flying through the room until he crashed against a wall. The laughter of the Investigatiom Team rang inside Souji's head as he tried to stand up from the ground once more.

"Very commendable! You really don't give up!", he could hear the Messiah say near him. "But I wonder how long you'll be able to keep this up before your will is finally broken to pieces!" He got kicked in the side, making him reeling backwards. "Just realize already that there's absolutely no chance to get out of this situation this time! The only way out for you would be for you to wake up in the reality outside, but the more injured you get in here, the smaller that chance becomes! And the only ones who could wake you up by force outside - your `friends´ - are all gathered here! It's hopeless!"

Souji tried punching the space from where he could hear the Messiah's voice coming, but he only hit the air and fell to the ground.

He wanted to stand up one last time, ready to just give up if he was punched to the ground again.

"It's useless! Don't be so stubborn and just stay down!", he heard Yosuke say the next moment and took a punch to his face again that made him tumble sideways.

"Give up! And let a bastard like you continue to do what he wants?", Souji hissed back and regained his balance.

`_There has to be a way I can defend myself!´,_ he thought desperately. `_This here is inside __**my**__ mind, god damnit!´_ He stopped dead in his tracks. `_**My**__... own mind... I can...´ _He grabbed the tarot card that had appeared above him the next moment and crushed it."TRUMPETER!" The called Persona appeared seconds later and hurled the `debilitate´ spell at Souji's enemies who were immeadiately weakened considerably.

"But how...?" he could hear Chie gasp from the side.

"This is _my_ own mind!", Souji growled. "If Philemon's powers can't reach here and my Shadow is able to appear then all other rules don't apply here as well which means that I can spam one Persona after the other! After all, as I already said this is _my_ own mind!" With a swishing motion he changed Personas. "Yoshitsune!"

The War Persona appeared and let loose the devastating attack `Hassou Tobi´ over the battlefield which knocked out every Investigation Team member after another until the only one left was the Messiah who had managed to disappear into the ground just in time and re-appeared seconds later after the attack had ended.

"Heh! As always. a first class spoil sport!", the creature shouted and fired an allmighty attack at Souji who had flung himself on the ground by instinct and rolled to one side.

"Izanagi-no-Okami!", Souji shouted after a moment and called his ultimate Persona that looked down at the Messiah with a deafening roar.

"Is that supposed to impress me?", the Messiah asked and sneeringly looked up to the Persona, only to scream out in surprise the next as Souji had suddenly rushed at him and punched him to the side. "What? How is that possible? You are blind!", the Messiah shouted at him after he had quickly stood up from the ground again and stared at Souji's destroyed eyes.

"Izanami-no-Okami's eyes are my eyes!", Souji replied as an answer. "I repeat: This here is _my_ own mind!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Meanwhile in the real world Bagman suddenly screamed as something hit him from behind and threw him to the ground.

"Oh? No barriers today?", the person who had thrown that attack at the old Shadow asked.

"Who dares...!", Bagman growled, stood up again and saw Hiro Sideu behind him who had appeared inside the cave and was happily throwing an energy ball into the air and catching it again."Kashim...!"

"Yo, Sensei~! Are we having fun with the nightmares in which you trapped the Fool and the other idiots?", Hiro called in a sing-sang voice, threw the energy ball up in the air one last time and kicked it towards Bagman like a football who had gotten out of the way just in time. Hiro smiled happily at him. "I think it is time for Sensei to just leave the stage. Like... forever~!"  
Bagman looked at him, puzzled. "What's that supposed to mean! Since when are you on the side of these fools?" He looked from one Investigation Team member to the next.  
"Ahahahaha!", Hiro laughed happily. "That really was a funny joke, Sensei!" His smile turned slightly evil. "Speaking frankly, I absolutely don't care what happens to these losers here. But..." Another ball of energy appeared in his hand. "Killer-san and me think that someone as old and frail as Sensei is only going to be a rather annoying burden."  
"So the brat sent you!", Bagman growled, his eyes becoming slits. "I understand... Adachi is gone now so the brat got what it wanted!" He looked at Hiro with one eyebrow raised. "And what's in it for you?"

"Oooh, don't worry! I'll get a really awesome reward for my troubles, Sensei!", Hiro giggled and threw the ball of energy towards the old man who swept it away with a swish of his hand. "And in addition I'll be getting rid of something that's making me worry more and more!" His gaze flickered to the figure with the whiplike instrument that was shown on Bagman's cane.

Bagman disappeared in the ground, lightning-fast, some parts of the floor turning into some kind of dragon the next moment that shot right at Hiro and tried to swallow him.

"Huh! You really seem to have a strange fetish for those creatures!", Hiro giggled, jumped onto the dragon's head and crushed the beast with a single blow, its pieces being hurled in every direction, one just barely missing Teddie's head. Hiro landed on the floor, laughing, before he suddenly moaned and grabbed his own head.

For a moment he saw himself running on a lawn, laughing happpily, running towards two people who were laughing as well before he his consciousness returned to the cave, just in time for him to avoid the old Shadow's next attack.

"Ugh! Why now!", Hiro spat and hurled the pieces of the stone dragon at Bagman who disappeared into the ground and re-appeared somewhere else. "This... is... all your fault, Sensei! You've fully unlocked the diary, haven't you!"  
All parts of the dragon now lying on the floor, Bagman came out of the ground again and looked at Hiro with a raised eyebrow. "... Are you talking about the last page of the diary which I unlocked a little while ago in my house?", he asked the brown-haired student who nodded grimly. "Huh... So you now what this nonsense means?" `If there is something in this world what I desperately want to know, then it's the reason why I have to exist like this. – Yu Narukami´ This isn't written in my original's handwriting and I don't have any recollection that my original ever wrote it. So who did...?"

Hiro crunched his teeth and the next moment held his head again, moaning.  
"No! Stop, go away!", he hissed, gasping.

Bagman took the opportunity to blow Hiro off his feet with several elementary dragons. The brown haired-student fell through the cave and crashed against Souji who groaned loudly.  
"Uh-oh... That wasn't supposed to happen!", Bagman groaned, slightly annoyed.  
"What? You mean this!", Hiro growled and slapped Souji's before standing up and looking down at the silver-haired Fool with disgust. "You have no idea how much I hate you, Souji Seta... D..." An energy ball from Bagman's cane followed which Hiro dodged. The explosion against the wall only a few centimetres away from Souji made him finally wake up with a loud groan, slowly opening his eyes.

"Tch!", Bagman grumbled loudly.  
"Ooooh! Did he wake up from hypnosis?", Hiro giggled with a baby-like voice and once again sank to the floor, groaning in pain.  
"Hyp... nosis...?", Souji repeated sleepily and looked over to the person who had just said this.

Hiro quickly hit the ground so that a cloud of dust arose and completely robbed Souji of his sight. He scrambled up again and wanted to run away, but was stopped by Bagman who jumped in his way.  
"Going so soon?", Bagman asked, taking a swing with his cane. "What about your plan to get rid of me?"  
"Cancelled for today!", Hiro wheezed, still dizzy from the pain in his head.

"Hah!", Bagman started to laugh, ready to attack.

"MAGATSU IZANAGI!", Hiro shouted and crushed the tarot card which had appeared above him. Izanagi's dark double appeared the next moment and punched the now utterly confused Shadow to the side.  
Hiro himself took the opportunity and punched the ground once more to create a cloud of dust and finally got away.  
"What was that?", Bagman stammered confused, still completely confused by the sudden appearance of the Persona, and the next moment screamed out loudly in pain when a Zionga spell from Souji's Persona hit him in the back. "Grr... Today really isn't my day!", the old Shadow spat and disappeared into the ground grumpily.

Souji who had finally regained his consciosuness and understood that the whole thing was only a trick from Bagman looked hectically around the place, but it didn't look as if the old Shadow would come back any time soon.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It took some moments until Souji had finally freed all of his friends from Bagman's hypnosis - Teddie just didn't want to wake up at all -, but in the end they all stood wide awake inside the cave in Nanako's dungeon, everyone's faces all pale, and stared at each other, bodies still shaking a bit.

"So in other words, that asshole just confronted us with our greatest fears.", Kou guessed from what everyone had to tell about their experiences with Bagman's hypnosis.

"Yap. And we've just lost valuable time due to that.", Souji added before he quickly and guiltily looked at Yosuke whom he had still suspected as being the culprit somewhere deep down. He startled a bit as he looked at the music-loving man's face that was still contorted in fear, unconsciouclsy rubbing his right arm the whole time (where the strange greenish-black bruise was that only Yosuke himself and Saki knew about). "... Everything alright, Yosuke?", he asked the other man who didn't react for a few seconds at first before he slowly looked up and nodded, whimpering a bit.

Rise had summoned her Persona Kanzeon in the meantime and was scanning the area. "Well, I still can't sense any smaller things like people or something like that, but I can definitely tell that there are some powerful energies further beneath us.", she finally said and turned towards the direction behind them.

"And that's were we're gonna find Bagman and Nanako-chan.", Souji said and immediately hurried up to get further inside the dungeon, followed by the others, Yosuke whose body still shuddered like crazy being the last one to follow.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A few minutes of wandering through the old, scary-looking dungeon later the friends came to a halt again in front of a huge house that was so absolutely colourful that it looked completely out of place in here.

"What... is that?", Chie stammered, staring in confusion at the colourful house which was producing a strange blue glow.

"`Daddy... Nanako... and mommy´...", Fuuka read from the door of the house through which they had to wander if they wanted to get farther into the dungeon.

Souji sighed deeply. "So she still... Nanako-chan...", he said miserably, slowly opened the entrance door and took a step inside, only to immediately crash against an invisible wall that threw him back outside. "What the...?" He rubbed his now aching nose and tried entering again just to get thrown out anew.

"Hmm...", Fuuka hummed and slowly entered the house.

Nothing happened to her.

"What?", Souji stammered, puzzled, entered a third time and was also thrown out a third time. "HEY!"

Teddie also took a careful step inside the house and was immediately thrown out as well.

Slightly confused, Fuuka went outside and tried entering the house again.

Nothing happened to her.

"Why can Yamagishi-sensei enter, but not me and Teddie? Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?", Souji snarled and angrily looked around until he found a very small signpost made of wood near the house that read: `Women only´.

Souji stared at the signpost in disbelief for a moment before he slowly turned his gaze to Yosuke who stared back in bewilderment before his eyes widened in horror.

"Oh, hell no! No, no, and no way in hell!", the music-loving man yelled frantically, understanding what Souji was thinking about, and jumped back together with Kanji in panic while Teddie jumped up and down in happiness and Kou only stared at them curiously.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Naoto, Patty and Saki immediately jumped up from their seats in Naoto's lounge when Souji and the others suddenly came jumping out of the TV.

"Where is Nanako-chan?", Naoto immediately asked, but her only answer to that was Yosuke throwing the `Women only´ signpost right in front of her feet. "... And what exactly is that?"

"Fuck my life!", Yosuke growled and stomped out of the room, towards his lounge.

"A... And you're really sure... that I'm going t-to look b-beautiful?", Kou asked hesitantly as he was nudged by Chie towards his lounge.

"Oooh, of course you will!", Chie answered, grabbing a puzzled Saki while walking through the lounge and continuing onwards with her and Kou.

"Ch-Chie-san...?", the bespectacled student asked her.

"Yosuke really needs your help in his and your lounge, Saki-chan~.", Chie only said, barely able to hide the evil smirk. "But first I have to give you some instructions on how to make him as pretty as possible."

Naoto was shoved by Teddie towards the blond Shadow's lounge in the meantime. "What is going on here?", the young detective tried to asked, completely confused by what was suddenly going on, but turned on her complete bitch mode when she saw a giggling Rise dragging Kanji along with her. "KANJI TATSUMI! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH ANOTHER WOMAN!"

"Err... uh...", Kanji only spluttered in embarrassment while he was pushed further down the hallways.

"Come on, Naoto! We still have beary much to do!", Teddie happily interrupted him and dragged a loudly protesting Naoto with him.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

About an hour later one male Investigation Team member after another re-entered Naoto's lounge in their Miss Yasogami High outfits, all of their faces except Teddie's beet-red, all of the women laughing at them like crazy.

"I-I'm... absolutely _not_ beautiful at all...", Kou whimpered, this being the first time he actually had to wear a costume like that.

"Aww, don't cry, Kou-senpai~! You're just gonna ruin your make-up like that!", Rise giggled in amusement.

"But he's absolutely right! Ain't lookin' pretty at all! More like a really ugly Parison Hilton double!", Kanji laughed at the Basketball-loving man who indeed looked like a really bad copy of the It Girl, complete with an oversized pink handbag.

"You shut your trap, you ugly wanna-be Marylin Monroe!", Kou snapped at him which immediately made him shut up.

Souji was studying the sword he had kept in reserve, sighing deeply and re-arranging his fake long hair in annoyance. This sword was absolutely not as good as the one Bagman had smashed just a while ago, but it had to do for now.

He took a moment staring Yosuke who was currently angrily whacking a happily bouncing Teddie before he walked towards the TV screen and said: "Okay, ladies! Let's go!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!", was Yosuke's immediate reply to that.


	110. Chapter 107: Dollhouse

_**Chapter 107: Dollhouse**_

It was on a large meadow, the sun shining brightly down on it. He and his little brother were playing next to one of the many trees that provided them with some cool shade in this hot weather, and both of them looked up the next moment in surprise when one of their playmate's suddenly screamed loudly.

_- Stop... -_

"Kenji! Stop thaaat!", the little girl cried, tears in her eyes, and tried to desperately run away from the other boy that was relentlessly chasing her. "Mooomyyy! Daaaddyy!"

The girl's parents came running immediately from the group of adults that was sitting a little bit away from the children and were talking and laughing.

_- Stop it... -_

"Hey, ya little-", the girl's father started shouting while the mother pacifyingly lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Dear, they're just children. Don't take it so-", she tried to speak.

"He was tryin' to see her panties!", the father interrupted her, snarling.

"WHAT?"

It was now the father's turn to hold back his wife while the boy's parents quickly ran up to their son, scolding him and hurriedly taking him with them before the girl's mother could get her hands on him.

He and his brother were laughing, amused.

_- I don't want to see this...! -_

"Yu!"

He looked up a waved at his parents while smiling.

_- I SAID TO STOP! -_

At once Hiro Sideu was back in his room inside the Sideu's mansion, lying on his bed instead sitting on the meadow, and stared up at the ceiling, panting.

"I..." He tried to get up, but fell to the ground when strong headaches started to overwhelm him again. As expected, none of the maids outside seemed to care about the noise he was making. "Enough already!", he yelled, slightly panicked now, and blindly grabbed around on the nighttable where a small can stood. He accidentally knocked it over, the contents - several strange pills - falling to the floor and rolling around. "Shit..." His whole body shaking, he crawled over the floor, barely able to spot one of the pills a little bit away from him. He crashed to the ground several time on his way until he finally reached the little pill and immediately stuffed it into his mouth with shaky fingers, crashing to the ground one last time with a loud and exhausted groan.

Several moments went by in which he simply continued to lie on the ground, breathing far too quickly through his mouth, as if he wasn't getting enough air in his lungs and trying desperately not to suffocate, before his breathing finally stabilized after a moment thanks to the pill. He slowly sat up, like an old man.

"Damn...", he mumbled and miserably stared up at the ceiling. "Baggy... Did you really have to unlock that fucking last page as well?" He stood up, annoyed, and through the remaining pills that were scattered on the floor back in their can. The pictures of the meadow tried to take over again, but now that the effects of the pills were helping him he was able to block them out.

Finally, after all of the pills were back in the can, he fell back down on his bed and stared at the ground. The pictures tried to fight their way back into his thoughts once more, but a mere shake of his head was enough to lock them out.

He sighed deeply. "Ebisu...", he mumbled. "I guess there is no other way for me if I don't want to go completely crazy..." His gaze wandered to the ceiling once more, his usual grin slowly starting to form on his face again. "Baggy has to die, and you along with him... Too bad, I guess..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

With a loud last scream Nanako's Shadow finally sank to the ground, completely defeated.

Bagman, also quite out of breath, looked from the defeated Shadow over to the scared Nanako who was still sitting inside the blue shimmering barrier that Jack Frost had errected.

"Well then...", the old Shadow said, wiping the dust from his clothes on which had Akihiko's blood had now completely dried and become crusty, and started walking towards Jack Frost's barrier. "I definitely didn't expect to meet this much resistance tonight, especially after you had come to me so willingly, Nanako-chan. You have no idea how many of my precious barriers I've had to sacrifice during those battles just now, no really! But whatever. I still have enough of them - even though I can't waste them anymore like before." He came to a halt and maliciously stared at Jack Frost who was still concentrating with all his might. "And your grinning little friend is once again about to run out of energy, it seems." He raised his cane. "Time to squash the little fly!"

"Beelzebub!"

Bagman looked behind himself, dumbfounded, when a Primal Force attack was suddenly launched at him. The attack would have definitely knocked him out completely if one of his barriers hadn't protected him in time.

"Seta...?", Bagman snarled, annoyed, but startled when he spotted a man in blue clothes that came out of the shadows: Theodore had just now entered the stage. "Who...?"

"A resident of the Velvet Room.", Theodore introduced himself, stuffing the tarot card of Beelzebub back into the Compendium he was carrying with him.

"Oooh, a resident of the Velvet Room, you say? So you're the cute little brother of good old Margaret!", Bagman laughed, clearly amused. "Let me guess! Margaret just couldn't make it - probably too busy with make-up and whatever it is these women waste their time all day long - and send you instead?"

"Attacking you now would brand her as a traitor to my other sister and her companion, seeing as you are planning to join them after this is over. That is all.", Theodore simply replied.

"Hmm, and since she can't protect that grinning thing behind me here, she lets you do the dirty work instead. I see.", Bagman said, nodding, and sighed. "Big sisters are always so annoying and demanding! I feel your pain, poor little boy!"

Theodore merely looked at him in slight boredom.

"Not really the talkative type, are you, my dear?", Bagman said. "Well, let's get down to business, shall we?" He shortly looked at Jack Frost and Nanako behind him. "You wouldn't just let us settle this without a fight, would you? I mean..." He quickly looked at Jack Frost once more. "What you actually want is to protect this doll. So if I just leave the doll alone, everything should be alright with you, shouldn't it? Can't I just take the girl with me, and we forget about everything?"

"Sarasvati!", Theodore yelled and summoned said Persona which immediately used a healing spell on Nanako's Shadow.

The Shadow slowly regained consciousness, groaning, while Jack Frost gasped in slight pain at the same time.

"What?", Bagman shouted in surprise. "Why would you-"

"I am sorry for using my power just now, Master.", Theodore apologized to the grinning snowball before turning back to the old Shadow. "The girl's Shadow has been summoned by me. It only makes sense for me to heal it."

Bagman continued to stare at him, still clearly confused, while keeping an eye on Nanako's Shadow, ready to react at any suspicious movement.

"Shadows are repressed thoughts given form. This girl here is able to finally create a Shadow with her twelve years.", Theodore explained. "But although she may be able to, her thoughts are far too pure - clean of any things she may want to repress - for her Shadow to appear in this world. But we - the ones ruling over Power - are able to force out the Shadows of other people - mainly to help our guests find their way back to the right path - which I did for this girl who had also become a guest of our Velvet Room some time ago thanks to our Master."

"But why? What are you trying to accomplish by forcing out her Shadow?", Bagman snarled, his eyes widening seconds later when he had to protect Jack Frost and Nanako with a barrier from Shadow Nanako's attacks. "I see... Very commendable. And you don't even have to use any of your powers that have become so weak due to Philemon's disappearance..."

Theodore nodded. "You need the girl! You have no choice but to protect her from her Shadow's attacks! And that is exactly what I'm counting on! I don't need to fight you myself, as you've just now said!"

Bagman only growled loudly as an answer before he jumped at the twelve year old's Shadow once more, Theodore merely silently observing the battle in front of him.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_- Why? After all we've been through! -_

The object that shined silver got nearer and nearer as he shot higher and higher.

_- Stop! Don't do this! COME BAAAAAAACK! -_

He entered the inside where it was absolutely dark, the desperate scream still ringing in his ears-

"... Yosuke... Yosuke!"

Yosuke looked up in confusion, the hand that had been holding his right arm once again quickly letting go of said hand. He stared at the colourful house of Nanako's dungeon that they had entered again before his gaze slowly wandered over to Souji who had been trying to talk to him for some minutes now.

"... Wh-what?", he asked him, his body shaking a bit again.

"Is everything okay?", Souji asked him, slightly worried, and blew one of the stray hairs of his fake wig out of his face in annoyance.

"Y-yes, of course it is.", Yosuke answered and tried to smile.

"You sure?", Souji continued to ask. "Every since Bagman's hypnosis you've been so - I dunno - ... strange."

"Well...", Yosuke slowly spoke. "It's just... with all that's happened today, I'm just a little bit on edge, tired and stuff, I guess." He felt the urge to hold his right arm again, but supressed it. "Let's just hurry and save Nanako-chan. I'm sure I'll be feeling a lot better after that!"

"If you say so...", Souji merely said to that and turned back towards the house, still keeping an eye on Yosuke, though. Maybe it was just him feeling guilty about what had happened to him during the hypnosis - Yosuke being the real culprit and all of that - and thus being oversensitive to the music-locing man right now, but something definitely didn't seem to be right about Yosuke.

_`And then there's still that other thing...´_, he thought, sighing, and once again blew some stray hairs out of his face. _`I'm sure one of my friends had shoved me into the circle that had taken me to Bagman...´_ He let his gaze wander through the group. _`Was that also part of the hypnosis... or...?´_ He shook his head. No, he couldn't suspect his friends again like that. The adventure just a little bit ago should have painfully taught him that.

He sighed once more before he finally dared to take the remaining steps towards the house. He opened the entrance door and took a step over the threshold.

Nothing happened to him.

"Good...", he said, feeling relieved, and wanted to continue, only to feel the invisible barrier that didn't want to let him advance further into the house. "What's wrong now?", he spat and tried to leave the house again. The barrier didn't allow him to go further in nor to leave again. "Grr!"

"Senpai? What's wrong? Isn't it working?", Rise asked hesitantly.

"I can't move my feet anymore!", Souji grumbled, desperately waving around with his hands.

"And what now?", Fuuka asked worriedly.

"Err, maybe that thing ain't quite sure about Senpai bein' a woman 'n all just yet?", Kanji suggested, shrugging.

"Don't be stupid! Why would-", Kou started, rolling his eyes, but stopped in disbelief the next moment when Souji suddenly let out a loud squealy scream, just a high as Rise sometimes did: "Pink is suuuuch a cuuuute colour! Tee hee hee~!"

He was fully inside the house the next moment, and Kou immediately looked away from a triumphantly grinning Kanji, pouting.

Kanji stepped over the threshold next and was stopped by the barrier as well.

"I, err... have tits?", the muscular man said with a far too deep voice and rearranged his fake breasts as proof.

The barrier let him through as well, the others shaking their heads.

"Oh, oooh! Teddie wants to try next!", Teddie shouted excitedly happily bounced through the threshold - much like a happy Little Red Riding Hood on her way through the forest to her grandmother -, further into the house. He looked behind him in confusion. "Hmm... And where's that barrier now?"

"Chrm, chrm... I think it's not needed, thanks to your... _charm_.", Chie said, slightly annoyed, and entered the house as well together with the rest of the female party members that now looked at Yosuke and Kou who were the only ones left.

Yosuke was the next one to step over the threshold, and was immediately stopped. "No idea if I should be relieved or rather sad since I look so ugly as a woman...", he mumbled and threw a short glance at Teddie who was still happily jumping through the house's foyer, far too into his role as a female.

"Rather relieved, I guess.", Souji opined, having followed Yosuke's gaze. Yosuke immediately nodded vehemently in agreement.

"Err...", the music-loving man said in thought before he suddenly squealed loudly, much like Souji before, and excitedly pointed at Kou's purse behind him. "So, like, OMG, Kou-chan! Isn't that purse the new brand from Prada? Im, like, sooo jealous right now!"

He was permitted entrance as well seconds later.

Kou was the last one, hesitently stepping over the threshold and being immediately stopped.

"Uh... Hmm...", he hummed in thought.

"Just say something feminine, dude!", Yosuke shouted at him.

After a little bit more of thinking Kou finally and hesitantly spoke with a slightly higher voice: "I-I... love them balls?"

Seconds later found Kanji and Rise rolling around the floor, laughing very much like Yukiko always did, while Yosuke applauded to Chie.

"You certainly got yourself a _fabulous_ boyfriend, Chie!", he laughed.

"Shut it, Failsuke!", the brunette snapped as an answer and kicked him in the shin, sending him to the ground like Kanji and Rise, although for other reasons, of course.

"Okay, now that _that's_ finally over with...", Souji sighed and turned around to the remaining part of the house they had yet to explore, although a little bit too quickly so that his fake long hair hit him square in the face. "Ouch! Fuck it!"

"Well, now you know what us women have to go through all the time. And it's a pain to wash as well!", Rise opined and threw her long hair back as proof.

"... Mommy?"

The friends inside the house immediately and completely stopped dead in their tracks when they heard the child's voice coming from upstairs. They all looked at the wooden stairs that led to the next floor.

"That was...!", Teddie shouted.

"Nanako-cha-...", Souji began, his face hopeful, but was immediately completely disappointed and also disgusted the next moment when an ugly and rather oversized doll came slowly hobbling down the stairs, towards them.

The doll that seemed to be made of porcelain had completely felted brown hair that ended in two blended plaits. Its eyes hung out of its eye sockets through which a disgusting smelling black substance gushed, as well as out of its mouth that was arranged in a crazy smirk. The dress it wore looked very much like the one Nanako always liked to wear during the summer, and it was severely torn apart at several places and full of blood, barely hanging down from its arms.

"This is...", Chie mumbled, distraught, and stared at the two huge knives the doll was carrying around in each hand as weapons.

"Is that... Nanako-chan's Shadow?", Souji asked and looked at Rise who had already summoned her Persona Kanzeon to analyze the enemy.

"It's a Shadow, but it's not Nanako-chan's.", the teenie idol replied.

"... Mommy?", the disgusting Shadow repeated with Nanako's voice, having reached the end of the stairs, and looked from one male party member in woman's clothes to the other, its gaze stopping on Souji.

"Wh... What?", Souji asked the doll, puzzled.

"... Mommy?", the doll simply repeated.

"DEFINITELY NOT!", Souji snapped, his right eye twitching.

"Aww, how cute! Senpai's the mommy, Dojima-san's the daddy, and Nanako-chan's the daughter! A happy family~!", Rise giggled, earning herself a death glare from the silver-haired Fool.

"So this house here is something akin to a dollhouse, I assume.", Fuuka said, her gaze wandering through the house.

"Mommy!", the doll shouted again and suddenly jumped at a startled looking Souji with astounding speed, the Fool being able to barely jump to the side, away from the Shadow. "MOMMY!", the doll yelled once more, quickly turned around and jumped at Souji again.

"Garula!", Yosuke shouted, having summoned his Persona, and whirled the far too clingy doll away from Souji, followed by Chie and Kanji who let their Persona's punch the Shadow against the wall.

The doll stayed on the ground and started to cry, much like a little baby.

"Oh, great! Now you've made it cry!", Yosuke snapped at the brunette while the Shadow's screams got louder and shrilled.

"Hey, why is it only me? Kanji hit that thing, too!", Chie shouted as loud as she could so that she could still be heard despite the dolls cries.

"Yeah, yeah, always trying to put the blame on someone else! That's so like you!", Yosuke yelled back.

The others just stared at the two and rolled their eyes, as Kou danced around them and tried to defend his girlfriend, although with no success at all since the two of them didn't register anything else around them except the other one.

"Uh, guys...", Souji gently tried to stop the two, but shouted the next moment in horror when the doll suddenly jumped up again, opened its mouth wide and spew a huge amount of fire at Kou, Yosuke and Chie. "LOOK OUT!"

The three whirled around in surprise, and both men grabbed a loudly protesting Chie -who would have taken severe damage with her weakness to fire - at the same time, jumping to the side with her and landing square on top of her.

"Get off me!", the brunette immediately shouted, crushed by the two men.

"Mommy!", the doll whined again, slashed Kanji and Teddie's Personas to the side and once again jumped at Souji who didn't have any time to dodge.

"Tetrakarn!", Fuuka yelled, and her Persona Brynhildr managed to create a shield around Souji just in time that blocked physical attacks for a short moment, the doll being thrown to the side, away from the Fool.

"Thanks, Yamagishi-sensei!", Souji thanked her, summoned Izanagi and let him rush at the doll which jumped up again, skillfully dodged Izanagi and the other Persona's attacks and jumped at Souji with a loud "Mommy!" once again. The other Investigation Team members had positioned themselves in front of their leader to protect him, but were all shoved to the side by the Shadow like bowling pins.

"MOMMY! MOMMY!", the doll yelled again and again, jumping in the air and preparing to fall square down on Souji.

"Shit! Izanagi!", Souji shouted in despair, and his Persona managed to barely cut the doll in two before it would have flattened the Fool.

The doll let out one last pained "Mommy!" before it finally exploded, the whole black and smelly content that had been gushing out of its eye socket and mouth until now covering Souji completely.

"Ugh! Eww!", Souji gasped, feeling nauseated at the smell, and looked at the doll's head that had landed in front of him.

"... Mo... Mommy...", the head cried.

"Put a lid on it already!", Souji snapped and kicked against it.

The head exploded even more violently, sending Souji flying to the ground.

_`How many more times is this gonna happen to me?´_, was Souji's last thought before he was once again send to the realm of dreams.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

When he opened his eyes the next time, he was thankfully still inside the dollhouse and _not_ somewhere else again with the Messiah or someone else.

_`At least one good thing...´_, he thought before he finally realized that the reason why he had woken up again was one of his friends groping him around his chest area. _`What the...?´_

"When the hell are you finally gonna stop that?", he could hear Yosuke yell, sounding embarrassed for some reason.

WHACK!

"But... But they're bouncing so beary nicely if you touch them!", a whining Teddie defended himself.

"Your brains gonna be what's bouncin' next when I give ya a good whack on yer head next!", Kanji immediately yelled at the blond Shadow, sounding just as embarrassed as Yosuke for some reason.

"What's going on...?", Souji mumbled and slowly said up, only to immediately startle a bit. Was he just immagining things or did his voice sound different somehow?

"Err... G-good morning, Souji.", Yosuke stammered, sitting around him together with his other friends, his smile looking a bit _too_ forced.

"How... How long was I out?", Souji asked the others, still confused about his strange sounding voice.

"A-about five minutes...", Rise replied, staring at his chest area in wonder.

"What's wrong?", Souji asked and wanted to look down on himself as well, Kou, Kanji and Yosuke hurriedly grabbed his head and forced him to look up again. "Ouch! Hey, what's the big idea?", Souji shouted with a far too high voice.

"U-uh, Souji-_kun_...", Chie slowly said, embarrassed, and looked at Rise, as if she wanted her to continue. But the teenie idol was far too busy staring openly at Souji's chest area. "Uh, well..."

"What?", Souji snappd.

"How about... you look down on yourself veeery slowly?", Fuuka suggested hesitantly, and slowly Yosuke, Kou and Kanji let go of Souji one after another. The Fool did as his Informatics Professor had suggested him and veeery slowly looked down on himself.

"WHAT THE HELL? OH MY FUCKING GOD!", Souji's absolutely shrill voice that was even higher than Rise's usual squealy voice echoed through the whole dollhouse, and with huge eyes full of horror he stared at his breats that were now even bigger than Professor Takedo's fake melons. "WHAT IS... I MEAN... WHAT THE HELL...?" Quickly he brushed over his fake long hair that had now become his real long hair. His, ähm... _Her_ face went paler and paler, and _her_ right eye started witching more and more violent. "Ex... Excuse me for a sec...", _she_ stammered and quickly dove with _her_ hands into _her_ pants.

Yosuke and Kou's eyes went huge.

Kanji's nose immediately started bleeding.

Teddie whistled appreciately and tried groping Souji's breats again.

And the women whacked the blond Shadow up the head one after another.

"Oh... my... god...", Souji was only able to croak out, finding the last confirmation for what had happened in his genital area: The black fluid that the exploded doll had covered him with had somehow made Souji Seta into a woman.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: I didn't actually want to write here, but Souji's transformation is **_**not**_** permanent. I write this just to avoid anyone getting any ideas about me suddenly going "OMG! YOSUKE x SOUJI NAO! SO KAWAAAIII!". That's not gonna happen, of course.**

**Also, the doll was inspired by the doll-like enemies appearing in the game **_**Alice: Madness Returns**_**.**

**SMT lover: The name I had intended for Hiro at this point had been another one in the beginning. But to be honest, that one had sounded quite dumb, so once I had heard Souji's anime name I had immediately changed the name to `Yu Narukami´. The name is there for a reason, of course. ;) Ryoji is not going to appear in the present storyline, nope. He may appear in flashbacks or things like that, though.**

**T.J: Neither is the Messiah Minato's Shadow, nor is Ebisu Souji's Shadow. Sorry to burst your bubble.**

**Serenity and Chaos: There's actually still pretty much still coming. The Fool Social Link is currently at Level 4. Once that reaches Level 10, the story's finale finally begins.**

**UmbrellaMan: The first half's story is actually the same theme that Persona 4 had: Being blinded by all those lies and rumours around you. It is shown by Souji suspecting Yosuke, for example. There's also one big lie that's about to be revealed soon. The second half's theme is pretty much `forgetting and being forgotten´ and the consequences of that. Kou's Persona focuses on physical attacks and status boosts for the party. He is resistent to physical attacks and weak against status ailments.**

**Kazumo: Nanako is actually one of the main factors as to why this story is situated six years after Persona 4. As you said, she was too young to have her Shadow appear, as stated by Teddie. That's why I wanted her to be around the same age Ken Amada was in Persona 3 since he was able to summon his Persona at that age.**

**myserious P4 player: To 1: It's considered his ultimate Persona, yes. To 2: It's quite obvious by now, I guess, but yes. To 3: Not saying anything about Yosuke's mother. But to that other thing: Yes, indeed he is.**


	111. Chapter 108: Impasse

_**Chapter 108: Impasse**_

The people at Tanaba University had long since gotten used to the often nightly ruckus. Often enough there had been loud shouting matches, sudden tremors, huge fires on the campus and many more things, mostly centered around the members of - as many of the students liked to call them already by now - the Psycho Club, led by the student Souji Seta. So none of the sleeping students was really that surprised when their slumber was interrupted once again by a loud shouting match that originated from Naoto Shirogane's lounge. The problem's solution was simple, really: You just take a few dozens of pillows, throw them over your head, and happily continue to snore in peace. Simple, wasn't it?

"For the last time, Shirogane! I'm going to go inside there, and that's final!", an enraged Ryotaro Dojima who had just regained consciousness after Saki had knocked him out with that hat stand was shouting at the young detective in front of him, at the same time rubbing the rather big bump that had started to form on the back of his head.

"I understand your reasoning, Dojima-san, but-", Naoto started, trying to sound as calm and and objective as possible which wasn't that easy since the man's voice was growing louder and louder by the second.

"To hell with that clicheed blabber of yours! Just let me get in there already!", Dojima only continued to bark and reached out to the TV screen behind him. As expected, his hand only met the screen's cold glass. "Grrr..." He balled his hands to fists.

"It absolutely won't bring back Nanako-chan if you break the TV now!", Yukiko warned him, watching together with Patty and Saki from the side.

Dojima continued to grumble and glared back at Naoto. "You can enter that world, can't you, Shirogane?"

Naoto nodded, her eye twitching slightly.

"Then take me with you!"

Naoto only shook her head as an answer.

"Why not?", Dojima shouted again, his head getting redder due to anger. "My daughter's-"

"Just shut up already for a minute and use your brain already!", Naoto interrupted him all of a sudden.

"Uh-oh... She's re-activated her Bitch Mode! Everybody hide!", Patty mumbled and immediately earned herself a deathglare from the young detective.

"Adachi-san and I have already told you years ago what is going on inside that other world! You know exactly what will be waiting for you there if you dare to enter the TV world!", Naoto continued to shout. "Are you really so desperate to die?"

"Everything you've told me back then is just humbug!", Dojima shouted back. "And even if it _were_ true: There is nothing for me to hide so my Shadow - if something like that even exists - won't have a chance to break free!"

"Dojima-san...", Naoto sighed, slowly nearing the end of her patience. "Every human being has something they don't want other people to see, that they don't want to admit to themselves. ... Even me. _`And if Souji senpai... and Kanji were to know the full truth... they'd both hate me forever...´_

"Well, it's not like that for me!", Dojima immediately countered.

"Oh, of course not!", Naoto laughed derisively, making Dojima look at her in confusion.

"What do y-"

"Dojima-san, the reason why you hate Souji-senpai that much... Can you tell me again?", Naoto interrupted him.

"Because he's a stinking liar who was only using me and Nanako this whole time!", Dojima replied heatedly and punched Naoto's nighttable with his fist. "And it's his fault all of this happened to Nanako, too!"

Naoto only sighed deeply again before she said: "If that's your answer, Dojima-san, then I will definitly _not_ take you to the TV world."

"What are y-"

"We both know _exactly_ that that's not the real reason why you hate your nephew so much!", Naoto interrupted him once again. "Sure, it hurt you that he lied to you like that. But the real reason for your deep hatred is another one, a rather simple and rather base motive. But one that I can quite understand."

"That's- ... Bullshit!", Dojima shouted, sounding like a little child that had been caught stealing some cookies from the jar for a short moment, before he whirled around and tried sticking his hand through the TV again, although to no avail.

"Anyway, I certainly won't take you to the TV world.", Naoto said after a while in which she had watched the other detective try entering the TV world on his own. "Your Shadow _will_ appear in front of you and go berserk inside there, and I'm in absolutely no condition to help you when that happens!"

"I already told you, my Shadow won't-"

But I'm telling you, it _will_.", Naoto immediately protested.

Dojima stared at her silently for a while before he spoke: "So you absolutely won't help me get inside there?"

Naoto only shook her head as an answer.

"And you neither?", Dojima asked the other three women who also shook their heads. "... Alright.", he mumbled, grabbed his jacket that Saki had neatly folded and arranged on the bed where he had been sleeping while he was out, and scuffled out of the lounge.

There was a moment of silence before Yukiko said: "I'm sure he's going to try and find another way to enter the TV world..."

"I know that.", Naoto sighed. "But there is nobody besides us who will be able to take him there. He won't be able to enter the other world."

If Naoto had only taken her time to think through things more thorougly, she would have maybe been able to figure out what Dojima's next step of action was going to be: The detective stomped through the corridors, continued through the campus and towards his car, slamming the car door shut quite angrily. He immediately sped through nighttime Tokyo like crazy, his destination the prison in Inaba where he knew that there was another person who was able to enter the other world, and who most like think of it as a fun game to let him enter that world: Tohru Adachi.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Another moanful scream announced that another one of Bagman's barriers had once again been the destroyed, the old Shadow slowly, but surely getting out of breath.

_`Damnit all!´_, the old Shadow thought angrily while knocking Nanako's Shadow out cold once again, only to growl in frustration as Theodore healed it once again. He tried to to attack the tall man instead to stop him from healing his enemy again and again, but the Shadow immediately jumped between the two men and destroyed another one of the old Shadow's barriers in the process.

"That's... absolutely not funny anymore!", Bagman snapped, avoiding the next hit by disappearing into the ground an reappearing somewhere else. At the same time he counted the remaining barriers in the back of his head. _`103...´_, he thought, crunching his teeth. _`Only three more that I can actually waste...´_ Sweat ran down his face in streams while he fired one elemental dragon after another at the other Shadow. _`And I had about thousand barriers in stock when I entered the TV world with Nanako... Damnit!´_

A moment of carelessness, and he had lost another barrier that he had to errect to protect himself since he wouldn't have been able to dodge the attack any other way. One more barrier was destroyed when Nanako's Shadow immediately hurled another attack immediately after the furst at him.

_`Only one left...´_, Bagman thought, getting slightly desperate now, while backing away to one of the cave's corners, glaring daggers at Theodore. _`What to do now...?´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_`So round~... So soft to the touch~... So much of them~... So bounc-´_

Teddie who had been quite busy groping Souji's newly grown big breasts didn't get any further with his growing perverted thoughts since both Kanji and Yosuke whacked him good upside the head the next moment.

"Ouch!", Teddie immediately protested loudly. "Sensei's playing with himself, too!" He pointed at Souji hand that was still stuck in his pants, owner of said hand still just staring around in disbelief and horror. "So why can't I, too?"

"Because those are _his_ toys, not _yours_!", Chie snapped at him, her face beet-red.

"... Mommy?"

All heads turned immediately towards the hesitant voice that sounded so much like Nanako's, and all of their eyes widened in absolute horror when a dozen of the same ugly doll they had just destroy came slowly hobbling down the wooden stairs.

"Uwaaaaaah!", Yosuke immediately screeched, jumped behind Kanji and shoved him forwards.

"What gives?", Kanji growled at him in confusion.

"Dude, those thinks make you turn into a chick! And I rather like my dangling parts, if ya get what I mean!", the music-loving man continued to screech.

"Oh, and what about me?", Kanji yelled at him.

"What about you? I bet you'd be absolutely thrilled to go hunting for some hot studs with your new killer body those dolls are gonna give you!"

"YA PIECE OF...!", Kanji barked, completely enraged, and was already about to grab Yosuke so that he could beat him to a bloody pulp. But both him and Yosuke immediately stopped in their argument to stare at Teddie who was now happily jumping towards the dolls.

"Here! Me! Meee!", the blond Shadow shouted excitedly, wanting to get some female parts to play with for himself. He let out a disappointed sigh the next moment when Fuuka hurriedly created a Tetrakarn shield around him that made all of the dolls bounce off of him in an instant.

"Mommy?", one of the dolls said again and turned around to Souji, staring at him and advancing towards him.

Something seemed to have snapped inside the silver-haired Fool at that moment - as if someone had suddenly turned on the `RAGE MODE ON´ button inside - since she suddenly jumped up, a vein pulsing angrily above her eye. "IZANAGI!", she yelled and balled her hand to a fist like usual.

The dolls as well as the friends were staring excitedly at him, but nothing happened at all.

"... Huh?" Souji looked above her, puzzled. "Iza... nagi?" No Persona whatsoever appeared for him.

"Err... Senpai...", Rise said and pointed above Souji's fist where the blue shimmering tarot card was bouncing around happily.

"Huh? ... Oh...", Souji sighed, annoyed. She had gotten so completely used to summoning her Persona that she really didn't watch above her anymore when she reached out for the tarot card during the summoning process. _`Of course, a woman's body - and also the length of her arms - is often smaller than a man's...´_ She hurriedly grabbed the card and crushed it. "Here we go! IZANAGI!"

The called Persona did not answer his mistress' call.

"Uh... Maybe... it's because you're all girl now?", Yosuke slowly suggested.

"OH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE! NAOTO'S GOT A MALE PERSONA, TOO, SO GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE, YOU FUCKING DIVA!", Souji yelled the next moment, her female hormones going into overload mode. Izanagi appeared seconds later above her with a very loud roar - as if to prove his manliness - and sliced through one doll after another.

"Aww...", Teddie moaned, disappointed. "No two new bearbags for Teddie..."

His comment was pointedly ignored as the others hurried along towards the wooden stairs.

"Hey, wait for the cute little bear!", the blond pervert and ran after the others, zooming in on Souji's ass at the same time when the silver-haired Fool bent down to grab some of the black substance that had also been gushing out of those other dolls.

"H... Hey...", Kou slowly began, gazing slightly fearful at the substance.

"I've already been hit by it. Can't get any more worse than this for me.", Souji sighed and held the black stuff towards Rise who immediately backed slightly away. Souji looked at her questioningly.

"I-I just want to make sure that there won't be anything growing around my lower body all of a sudden.", the teenie idol hurriedly explained before starting to scan the substance with the help of her Persona Kanzeon.

"And? I bet that stuff's been made by Bagman, right?", Yosuke asked, standing one step below Souji and Rise. The next moment he let out a huge gasp of horror. "Dude!", he yelled at Souji. Said Fool turned around and looked at him in confusion, making the music-loving man's face even redder. "OH GOD!", Yosuke screeched even louder, grabbed the jacket he had brought with him and threw it over Souji's body.

The reason for Yosuke's sudden hysterical behaviour had been the fact that the blouse Souji was wearing had been sewn to fit Yukiko's proportions, not the much bigger ones of the Fool. To put matters simply, Souji's boobs were almost falling out of the blouse while she was walking, which Yosuke had duly noted to his horror when looking at the substance in Souji's hands.

Souji was still only staring at him in confusion, a big question mark over her head.

"Your... Your boobs, dude!", Yosuke squeaked and pointed at the place that was making him through a fit, now covered by the jacket.

"... Huh?" Souji still didn't get what had Yosuke so riled up all of a sudden.

"I guess he's still lacking the female consciousness part.", Chie sighed. "It's nothing bad for a guy when half of his upper body is bare, you know."

"W-well, then he- ... err, _she_ better start growing that right now or someone - mainly TEDDIE - is gonna try and jump her soon!", Yosuke growled, screeched once again when Souji tried taking off the jackect and literally put the jacket back over her body.

"Hmm... This substance feels like Nanako-chan.", Rise opined, having finished her scan in the meantime.

"Like Nanako?", Fuuka repeated questioningly.

"Well... it feels like... I don't really know how to explain it. It's like this substance is one of Nanako-chan's strongest feelings having taken on physical form.", Rise tried to explain. "Nanako-chan's wishes and feelings are inside that stuff."

"There was some stuff written on the entrance. `Daddy, Nanako & Mommy´...", Kanji remembered, slightly said. "Guess that's her wish to have a mum again."

"Weeeeell, it definitely hit someone who's related to Nanako-chan, at the least.", Kou said and scratched his head. "Wait a moment... Now that I think about it, maybe that's the reason why the dolls were so intent on going after Souji in the first place, simply _because_ he's one of Nanako-chan's relatives.

"Does that mean Sensei has to share his bed with Nana-chan's dad now?", Teddie asked all of a sudden, eyes huge.

WHACK!

"Is your mind ever going to get out of the gutter today?", Yosuke growled at him after the usual good whacking to Teddie's head.

"But... But... You and your bearents never really explained everything about that scoring stuff to me, Yosuke! That's why I'm so beary interested, you know!", Teddie complained.

"Well, that's because it's fucking embarrassing having to explain all that stuff to someone who already looks like an adult!", Yosuke shouted back, his head now red again.

"Well then maybe I get the chance to practice with Sensei, now that he's like that!", Teddie squealed enthusiastically and jumped up the remaining steps towards Souji. "Right, Sensei~?"

"... Eat shit and die.", was Souji's deadpan response to that, followed closely by a deathglare. The others only stared at her with disbelief before she startled as well. "Did I... really just say that?"

"Aaaand welcoooome to a woman's hormonal balance, Senpai~!", Rise only giggled.

Souji sighed and threw the substance back to the ground, Yosuke immediately screeching and jumping away from it as fast as possible. "And how am I going to return to normal again?", she asked the teenie idol.

"Well, if that stuff really originates from Nanako-chan, then it'll probably go away after we get her out of here.", Rise said, shrugging.

"... You don't really sound all that sure.", Souji noted.

"Yep, that's right.", Rise replied, giggling while slowly backing away from a fuming Souji, congratulating herself for already having taken down Souji from her `White Knight in shining armor´ list. Going all out lesbian was so not on her to do list.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It was already foreseeable, but the last barrier that Bagman could waste was broken by one of Shadow Nanako's attacks moments later, followed by loud cursing from the old Shadow.

"Ugh!", the old professor groaned, dodged another one of his enemy's attacks, and jumped up unto one of the rocks in the corner of the cave.

Theodore stared at him analytically. "So I guess you don't have anymore barriers to spare?", he asked.

"Silence!", Bagman growled at him at him while glaring at the twelve year old's Shadow. "Why are you even butting in? I thought that the faithful resident's of the Velvet Room weren't allowed to directly interfere with their guests' journey. The only thing they can do is interact with them, give them the Compendium and help in Persona fusions! And yet here you are, not minding your own business!"

"Well, but I am abiding by the rules.", Theodore replied simply. "As I have already told you, this girl is also a valuable guest in our Velvet Room. And she had lost her way in the darkness of this place so I came here to confront her with her Shadow. It's not my fault you have to meddle and fight against said Shadow."

"... That's... You're really stretching the rules! You specifically called her Shadow, knowing full well I had no other choice but to attack it in order to keep her from getting killed!", Bagman protested.

"Well, that's simply your point of view, I'd say.", Theodore merely replied, Shadow Nanako already jumping at Bagman again who blocked the attack with a wall of dirt. He disappeared into the ground once again and reappeared as far away from it as possible.

Theodore's gaze hardened. _`He doesn't have any more barriers to spare left. If my guess is right, he will be going berserk now.´_, he thought, body tense. _`Margaret nearly didn't manage to get away in time when he went berserk during their encounter...´_

Bagman sighed deeply. "Oh well...", he said, his gaze turned to the ground. "I can only hope that snowball over there will be able to keep up that protective barrier of his long enough." His yellow eyes started glowing more and more. "If a Shadow goes berserk, there is no going back anymore, you know. It loses all of its reasoning and reverts back to the most simple and basic instinct: to kill! And unwanted accidents - like cute little Nanako-chan getting crushed under my feet - might happen then." He sighed once again. "I really hate going into that condition. I really, really do. But you annoying little pests just don't want it any different. Give a little bug a little bit of lenience, and they immediately think they can do whatever they please!" He started breathing faster and faster during his little fit. "Well then..." He pointed his cane skywards. "Say it, Yosufu!", he ordered.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

At graveyard at the strange place where the real Mr. Bagman and Yuuta were stuck Mr. Bagman suddenly groaned and pain and sank to the ground.

"B-Bagman-san?", Yuuta immediately asked, worried, but Mr. Bagman only shook his head and screamed in agony.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"SAY IT ALREADY!", Bagman demaned inside the cave inside Nanako's dungeon. The cane started glowing more and more, the letters on it forming the words `izanau´ once again.

Theodore looked up in horror all of a sudden. "... What?", he gasped and looked around hectically. "I sense... Ebisu?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"You're...", the real Bagman wheezed at the graveyard in the meantime. "No, I don't want to say i- ugh! You're n- No, don't make me say it, you monster!"

"Bagman-san...", Yuuta mumbled in fear, white as a sheet as he knelt next to the old man, trying to somehow help him.

"You're not- No, I don't want to! Let me...!", Mr. Bagman whimpered on the ground.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"... Ebisu?", Bagman repeated inside the cave questioningly and slightly lowered his cane.

"Ebisu! I can sense him!", Theodore said excitedly. "But how...?"

"With Ebisu you mean that little cripple that my original once captured years ago, don't you?", Bagman asked curiously.

"Captured?", Theodore repeated. "You know where Ebisu is right now?"

Bagman's lips suddenly curled up triumphantly, and he let his cane sink to the ground again. "Oh, but of course I do.", he replied.

"Where? Where is he right now?", Theodore immediately asked.

"Hmm... I don't really know anymore.", Bagman replied to that and slowly looked over to Nanako, smiling maliciously. "Maybe I'll remember if you I get to play with Nanako-chan over there a bit." He looked back at Theodore. "What do you say?"

Theodore glared at Bagman, and the next moment he stopped Shadow Nanako with a single motion of his hand who had been about to attack the old Shadow again. "I can't allow that.", he answered.

"Aww, too bad.", Bagman said. "Then I guess the memory of Ebisu's whereabouts won't be returning to my memory any time soon. Alzheimer's disease is a real bother at my age, let me tell you." He nodded wisely.

Theodore bit his lower lip. "If you tell me where he is, I'll let you get out of here alive.", he suggested.

"Hmm... Well, let me think about... NO!", Bagman cackled, suddenly jumped at the protective barrier that Jack Frost had created, and started punching it fast and furiously. The grinning snowman squeaked loudly in pain.

"Stop!", Theodore growled and let Shadow Nanako loose once again, the Shadow immediately attacking the old professor.

"Oh my!", Bagman chuckled, dodged the Shadow's punches and looked at Theodore, smirking. "Are you really going to risk losing a valuable source of information, my dear?"

The Shadow tried punching Bagman again who didn't make any attempt to dodge at all, grinning all the while.

Theodore stopped the girl's Shadow centimetres before it would have hit Bagman, crunching his teeth.

Both men silently stared at each other, one of them ready to pounce at the barrier should a good opportunity arrive, the other one ready to stop him at the slightest suspicious movement. But neither of them could really do anything.

"It seems we've arrived at an impasse, my dear.", Bagman noted after a while.

"So it would seem.", Theodore agreed grudgingly.

"But goodness, I must say! That information about Ebisu must be really valuable to you!", Bagman chuckled. "But you still won't hand over the girl for it, won't you?"

Theodore nodded grimly.

"Well, then I guess I'll better just keep Ebisu's whereabouts to me for the time being.", Bagman opined, nodding.

"I can't allow that!", Theodore suddenly said heatedly. "If I can't manage to locate Ebisu in time, it could lead to huge problems for both worlds!"

Bagman stared at him for a few seconds before he broke out into a laughing fit. "That's a good one, my dear! An absolute weak and inferior being like Ebisu causing problems? Ahahaha!", he laughed.

"It's not a joke!", Theodore protested. "I have to find Ebisu! He made a prophecy long ago!"

"... A prophecy?", Bagman repated, slightly curious again.

Theodore nodded. "Yes. It starts with the real Bagman - your original - and ends with a man named Yu Narukami who, according to the prophecy, will very soon open the Gates of Chaos, leading both this world and the human world into the abyss!"

"Yu... Narukami...", Bagman repeated slowly and thoughtfully.

During his short stay with Nanako at his house a few hours ago, he had already stumbled upon that name once, and that had been on the last page of the diary he had been trying to unlock. The words `If there is one thing in this world that I desperately want to know, then it's the reason why I have to exist like this. – Yu Narukami´ had been inscribed on it which had actually confused him a little bit. There was no memory of any Yu Narukami in his original's memories, and there was also no memory whatsoever about his original having written down these lines inside the diary at all.

"So who...?", Bagman mumbled, but stopped in shock when he suddenly heard some loud shouting from the next room behind him. "What is...?"

"BAGMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!", he heard a female voice shout, and he completely froze in disbelief when he saw a female version of Souji Seta enter the room they were in together with the rest of the Investigation Team. The Fool's female version had already summoned Izanagi who immediately threw down dozens of Zionga spells on the old Shadow.

"Ugh! That can't...!", Bagman groaned, threw a last glance at Theodore and then vanished into the ground.

"Stop!", Theodore shouted after him.

"A-and who's that?", Chie asked and stared at the tall man in confusion, her Persona summoned and ready to attack.

"That's...", Souji began, her gaze wandering over Theodore's blue clothes.

"A resident of the Velvet Room, usually attending to female guests.", Theodore answered and nodded before he vanished through a strange portal, leaving the room as well.

Souji immediately looked around the room for the old Shadow. "Where are you, Bagman?", she shouted, her gaze stopping at Nanako who was sitting on the ground, sobbing, together with Jack Frost, the protective barrier around them. "Nanako-chan!", she shouted and was just about to run over to her little cousin, but Kanji stopped her. "What?", she snapped at him, but stopped when she followed his gaze and spotted Nanako's Shadow who was still standing there motionlessly.

"I... Is that thing gonna attack us?", Yosuke asked, unsure, and looked at Rise who had already summoned her Persona and was scanning the Shadow.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Theodore had followed Bagman's presence to another part of Nanako's dungeon in the meantime.

"Where is he...?", Theodore mumbled and looked around the room he was currently inside, slightly puzzled. He had definitely felt the old Shadow's presence inside here, but now it seems like he had been completely swallowed up.

The next moment he whirled around in horror when he felt something behind him, but it was already too late: The sword that Bagman's cane had transformed into found its way into his stomach, deeper and deeper. "Ugh...!"

"Hmph!", Bagman only harrumphed and pulled the sword that immediatelys transformed back into the cane back out of Theodore's body.

Theodore immediately sank to the ground.

"That... won't be able to...", Theodore wheezed.

"Oh, don't worry. I know quite well that something like this could never kill you.", Bagman said, smiling. "And that's actually not what I want right now. After all, those things you've told me about Ebisu sounded very interesting, my dear." He raised his cane. "No, no, I'm after something completely different." Pure energy shot from his cane and hit Theodore who screamed in pain.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"It doesn't look like it's going to attack us at all.", Rise ended her scan on the Shadow, and jumped back in surprise when Shadow Nanako suddenly started moving and looked at them.

"... Mommy?", it asked, looking at Souji, and then immediately started jumping at them, the group jumping to the side just in time.

"I thought you said it wouldn't attack us?", Kanji snapped at the teenie idol

"Oh, just shut up, Kanji, would you!", Rise bitched back and dodged another attack by the Shadow.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"What... did you...?", Theodore groaned from the ground.

"Oh, I've only made Nanako-chan's Shadow grow a bit more aggressive again thanks to your help just now. And I think it'll go berserk any time now. That's all, my dear."

"What...?", Theodore coughed and was just about to raise his hand in order to stop Nanako's Shadow again when Bagman knocked him out with a kick to his head.

"Can't have that, now can we?", the old Shadow said and, tired as he was now, sat down next to the now unconscious Theodore. "And now I'll just have to wait until Nanako-chan's Shadow's finished tearing the Fool and his friends apart~."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Yep, an update. Nope, don't have any excuse about the long absence. Just writer's block. Shit happens. *shrugs***


	112. Chapter 109: Awkward Justice

_**Chapter 109: Awkward Justice**_

Author's notes: Battle theme for this chapter: www youtube com / watch?v=N0KGRjTIa7I

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The school bell announced the end of school, and all students immediately stormed happily outside into the courtyard where their parents - mostly their mothers - were already waiting for them. Only Nanako Dojima stayed behind inside the class, neatly and thoroughly organizing her school stuff inside her backpack before she finally shuffled through the corridors and entered the courtyard as well, the last laughing children leaving the school together with their mothers.

Slowly, very slowly she walked towards one of the swings, sat down and swung back and forth a little bit, staring at the ground all the while. It didn't matter if she went back home a little bit later. Her father would be home later that day anyway, like always, and the food waiting for would be ready to eat in about three minutes thanks to the microwave.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"... Mommy?", Nanako's Shadow mumbled inside the dark cave and slowly looked from one member of the Investigation Team to the other, all of them looking like women - well, some more than others. Its gaze stopped at Souji.

"It's definitely because he's related to her.", Kou said.

Souji growled in slight annoyance before she looked at the real Nanako who was still sitting on the ground inside the protective barrier. "Nanako-chan!", she called out to her, but she didn't seem to be able to hear her at all. "Nanako-chan!"

The twelve years old only sniffed.

"Why...?", Souji wondered out loud and tried running towards her. She had to jump back immediately, though, since Shadow Nanako immediately tried attacking her.

"That barrier around Nanako-chan's completely isolating her.", Rise explained, scanning the whole area. "Until it's destroyed, Nanako won't be able to hear or see us at all!"

"And why's that Shadow able to attack us like that? I mean, it's still in its human form, so why?", Yosuke shouted. "And what the hell's wrong with that doll over there in front of Nanako-chan? It's moving!" He pointed at Jack Frost who still hovering in the air, trying its best to keep up the protective barrier.

"That Shadow smells beary strange.", Teddie opined.

"Yes, it is definitely strange! It's not like the usual ones that appear from oppressed emotions. This one feels more forced.", Rise added, nodding. "And that doll Yosuke-senpai's talking about... I don't even know where to begin with that thing... Be very careful, guys!"

"... Mommy?", Shadow Nanako suddenly said again before suddenly dozens of the same dolls they had already met inside the dollhouse crawled out of the ground like zombies.

"Nope! Nope! Noooope!", Yosuke immediately screeched in horror, grabbed Teddie who was about to run towards them, and jumped back, away from them.

"Izanagi!", Souji yelled and destroyed one loudly crying doll after another together with Kanji and Chie's Persona, before all three of them attacked Nanako's Shadow at once, only to have each attack go completely through it.

"Ugh!", Che growled.

"Shadows can't be attacked in their human f-", Teddie started to explain.

"We know! We know already!", Yosuke interrupted him while Souji ordered Izanagi at the same time to attack the barrier.

Shadow Nanako immediately jumped after him, grabbed him, threw him to the side and threw some almighty attacks at Tomoe and Rokuten-Mao who had tried to stop it.

Souji and the others - Yosuke rather hesitantly - tried to run towards the shield themselves, but had to turn around and let their Personas attack instead when several dolls crawled out of the ground once again.

"That Shadow only attacks us whenever we try to get to the barrier!", Rise shouted. "What to we do?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Well, that _is_ a problem.", Bagman agreed, somewhere else inside the Hell dungeon where he sat together with the unconscious Theodore. "If things continue like this, it'll take far too long until those brats are wiped out by the Shadow. Hmm..." He looked at Theodore, a grin appearing on his face a moment later. "Well, if the human Shadow doesn't want to attack them..." He closed his eyes, raised his cane and swiftly punched the ground with it. The following shockwave hit Theodore, lifting him into the air momentarily before he landed back on the ground, rather ungently. "Let's just add some spice to it, shall we?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The whole room the Investigation Team was standing in suddenly started shaking, and Shadow Nanako screamed in agony at the same time, the dolls around it slowly disappearing into the ground.

"What now?", Kou shouted, puzzled.

The tremor was over as sudden as it had started, and Shadow Nanako spun around toward the barrier right away, advancing towards it.

"Hey, what...?", Kanji started, worried.

"It's alright! It won't be able to get through-", Rise began speaking, her eyes widening the next moment when the Shadow casually walked through the blue barrier. "- it."

Having managed to get through the barrier, Shadow Nanako stopped and looked at the grinning snowball that was still hovering in the air and concentrating with all its might.

"Foolish being.", Shadow Nanako said. "You have only got a minimal part of your power back, and yet you still try to protect this brat with all you've got. You've overestimated yourself and lost control of your power. You can't even sense the Fool in the state you're currently in, my dear! Hah hah!"

"`My dear´?", Souji repeated. "No...! Bagman!" She ran towards the barrier, the others right behind her. The humans pounded furiously against the protective shield from one side while the Personas launched one attack after another at it from the other side. "Bagman! Get your hands off Nanako-chan! Stop controlling her Shadow!", Souji continued to yell in panic.

Shadow Nanako only smiled maliciously before it turned toward Nanako and advanced towards her, kneeling in front of her and forcing up her chin so that she had to look up at it.

"Wh-what...?", Nanako stammered, scared, only now noticing the Shadow that had managed to enter inside the barrier.

"Rise! How do we get in there?", Souji was yelling at the teenie idol in the meantime while still punching the barrier, his hands starting to feel sore.

"I-I don't know! Her Shadow was probably only able to get their since its in general the same as Nanako-chan!", Rise answered, panicked.

"Hello, my bad, baaad girl.", Shadow Nanako greeted its original meanwhile. "Don't you think that this place is just _perfect_ for someone like you?"

"... Huh?" Nanako only continued to stare at it, her whole body shaking.

"No! He's trying to make the Shadow go berserk!", Fuuka shouted in horror.

"Well, you know how things are, Nanako-chan: Good people will go to heaven once they die. But bad people certainly won't, no! They will go to hell!", the Shadow continued. "And goodness, do you know where we currently are? That's right, we're in hell, Nanako-chan! So what does that mean?"

"I-I...", the twelve years old stammered.

"You've always guessed that it was the case, didn't you?", her Shadow, controlled by Bagman, said. "The reason why Big Bro won't visit us anymore! The reason why Dad left home and would rather live in Tokyo, far away from us!"

"N-no...!", Nanako wept and covered her ears with her hands.

"It's because you're a baaad girl, Nanako-chan! And nobody wants anything to do with a baaad girl like you!", Shadow Nanako continued mercilessly. "All of those people around you always think that you're still just a small child - something akin to a four years old - who's always happy-go-lucky and doesn't notice people speaking around her!"

"P-please... stop..."

"Nanako-chan! Don't listen to that thing!", Souji yelled on the other side of the barrier, but the twelve year old couldn't hear her at all.

"But those idiots are all so very wrong!", Shadow Nanako shouted angrily. "Oooh, see what a bad girl you are? You think their idiots!"

"No, I..."

"The neighbors and all the other people constantly say it, don't they? `Nanako-chan looks just like her mother, more and more!´, they all say! `If only she hadn't gone that day to fetch the little girl from kindergarden that day...´."

Nanako only wept louder.

"They think you don't notice any of their gossip since you're still just a little child! Hah! What idiots!", Shadow Nanako laughed out loud. "But thanks to them you know exactly whose fault it is that Mom's dead! Thanks to them you know just what a bad girl you are! It's _your_ fault Mom's dead! You know it, and Dad knows it, too!"

"NO!", Nanako yelled back desperately, tears running down her face in streams. "It's not my...! I'm not a...!"

"Senpai...", Rise began hesitantly, staring at Souji's distraught face.

"Uncle Dojima... told me about it...", Souji said, almost whispering. "Nanako's mother... she was run over by a car when she was heading towards kindergarden to take Nanako home... Back then it seemed to me that... that he had been blaming her for some time to for her mother's death..." He continued desperately punching against the barrier. "Nanako must have noticed it as well..."

"Shit!", Kanji growled and continued to punch even harder against the blue protective shield.

"Dad... Dady is my real Dad! And I'm his real daughter!", Nanako yelled at her Shadow at the same time, remembering the words from years ago. "Dad loves me!"

"Of course he loves you, nobody's doubting that, stupid girl.", Shadow Nanako sighed. "But since you're such a bad girl that's murdered her mother, it's only a just punishment that he and Big Bro leave and ignore you! You deserve to be left behind with such an absolutely horrible nanny!"

"No! I'm not...", Nanako continued to cry.

"And since we're already talking about that nanny: It really wasn't nice of you to get her absolutely wasted like that, you bad child! And do you really think I wouldn't know what you were really trying to accomplish in regards to that old woman?", Shadow Nanako growled. "You specifically wanted her to be chosen as your nanny by your father! You knew that that women would be an utter failure as a nanny! That's why you acted all nice and friendly towards her, making it look like you preferred her over all of those other candidates! You knew that Dad would immediately come back home if the nanny were to make a mistake! That's why you chose Kashiwagi!: Because she was the most likely one to make a huge mistake and behave like a total slut! And you could also get some more punishment for your crime by getting the worst nanny ever! You're a baaad girl, and bad girls don't deserve having a nice nanny! Justice is always served, Nanako, even if it _is_ a rather awkward one!"

"I... How...?", Nanako stammered, shivering.

"How I know all of that? Oh, that's simple, Nanako-chan~.", her Shadow replied, knelt further down and whispered into her ear: "It's because I am you, after all. I know absolutely everything about you."

"No, you're not!", Nanako protested vehemently. "I'm not so absolutely bitter and spiteful like you!" She stood up, tears in her eyes, and backed away from the Shadow, shaking her head all the while.

"No, Nanako!", Souji begged her.

"YOU'RE NOT ME!"

A smile appeared on Shadow Nanako's lips. "My work is done here...", it mumbled before it sank to the ground, black fog engulfing its whole body.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Bagman opened his eyes again and disconnected his cane from the ground. "Well, let's see them trying to defeat that Shadow."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Jack Frost screamed loudly and pitifully while the black fog spread out through the whole barrier until it was completely filled with the black substance.

"I am a Shadow, the true self!", they could hear Shadow Nanako's distorted voice from inside the shield.

The next moment a choked squeal was to be heard before the barrier shattered in an instant, the black fog spreading out throughout the whole room, only to disappear into the ground moments later, revealing Shadow Nanako's new form: A human-sized, rusty old gold scales - its body somewhat looking like Nanako - stood there where the Shadow had sunken to the ground moments ago, three weight hanging on different sides of it, each of them having the same weight: One looked like Dojima's face, the second one looked like a woman's face - most likely Nanako's mother - and the third one looked like Souji's face.

"... Mommy? Where are? ... Have I really been such a bad girl? Is that why you left me alone?... Mommy...", the Shadow wept, glided over the now unconscious Nanako and the once again sleeping Jack Frost and came to a halt in the centre of the room. The weight that looked like Nanako's mother's face began slowly dragging down the scales, gaining weight.

"The Shadow's Arcana is Justice!", Rise shouted the information she could gather out, the other having taken on battle stance. "It's not strong or weak against anything, so just go all out as you like!"

"Okay!", Souji shouted, and his Persona immediately shot towards the Shadow, the weight that looked like Nanako's mother having dragged it down to its side completely. There was a loud sound of a gong, originating from the Shadow, and suddenly dozens of lights shot out of the scales, shooting each and everyhwere through the dungeon, bouncing back from the walls and hitting one Persona after the after.

"What was that?", Kanji shouted, puzzled, and then shouted in surprise when Chie tried to Galactic Punt him all of a sudden while Tomoe was launching attacks at Rokuten-Mao at the same time, Kanji's Persona not being able to do anything against it for some reason.

"What...?", Souji said and confusedly stared at Teddie who seemed to be in a complete rage advance towards the scales, only to be knocked back by it. Yosuke and Kou had both sank to the ground moaning in pain at the same time while Fuuka was spinning around and around on her heals for some strange reason. "What the hell...?" Izanagi was trying to throw a Zionga spell at the Shadow, but nothing happened. Souji looked questioningly at Rise.

"Those lights had all kinds of status effects inside them, Senpai!", the teenie idol shouted. "Chie-senpai and Yamagishi-sensei are confused, Teddie is enraged and can't control himself anymore, Kou-senpai and Yosuke-senpai are poisoned, and Kanji and your Persona are both silenced!"

"Shit! Izanagi!", Souji yelled and let his Persona crash into Teddie, making him snap out of it.

"Wh-what...?", the blond Shadow stammered and looked around in confusion. "I thought someone had stolen all my sugar and-"

"Teddie, go and heal Yosuke and Kou! Hurry!", Souji interrupted him while he ran towards Kanji to help him fight against Chie and her Persona.

Teddie nodded and stormed towards the two poisoned men, shouting something like `Doctor Teddybear is on his way!´ while Souji and Kanji managed to corner Chie. The muscular man grabbed her and held her down while Souji forced the antidote down her throat.

"Wh-what is...?", Chie stammered seconds later, snapping out of her confusion.

"Garula!", Yosuke who had been healed by Shadow shouted the next moment, causing a storm to brew around Shadow Nanako who had already rang the gong again. The new lights full of status effects that the Shadow had thrown at them immediately disappeared when the storm knocked Nanako's mother's head back upwards, making the head that looked like Souji drag down the scales instead now.

"No, don't!", Rise shouted, having finally completely ended her scan. "Each head will cause something else to happen when it drags down the scales!"

But it was already too late since Souji's head had completely dragged down the scales.

"Mornin Star...", Shadow Nanako whispered, sounding the gong.

"Morning-?", Souji started in horror, and screamed in pain seconds later when the strongest Almighty attack available spread out through the whole room, throwing them against the walls, parts of it crashing down on them.

"Ugh...", Chie groaned several moments later and drudgingly shoved away the rock that had trapped her against the wall.

Teddie and Fuuka were doing their best to get everyone back on their feet with Mediarama at the same time.

The gong sounded again, another Morning Star imminent.

"Not on my watch!", Kou shouted, Siegfried striking the scales and lifting up Souji's head before another Morning Star spell could completely wipe them out.

Dojima's head dragged down the scales this time.

The ground started shaking violently, and one Shadow after another proceeded to crawl out of it.

"What the...?", Chie shouted and dodged several Agilao spells thrown at her by robotic Shadows that looked like Pyro Jack.

"It's calling backup in the form of Shadows from all the previous dungeons we've been to!", Rise shouted. "Geez, it's like an endless stream of them!"

"Punch the scales into another direction! Huuuurryyy!", Teddie screeched in panicked, being chased by a whole horde of Hulk Hogan look-alikes from Kanji's dungeon, and ran into an armada of Pyro Jacks that threw fire spells at him. "Aaaaah! Hot bear! Hot bear! Someone call an ambulance! Aaaah!", he screamed, his whole fur in flames.

Chie sighed in annoance as she tried to stop the fire as good as possible with her Bufu spells while Kanji and Kou destroyed the Hulk Hogan Shadows.

Souji had managed to hit Shadow Nanako in the meantime, the head of Nanako's mother dragging the scales down once again.

"No! Not those status ailments again!", Kou shouted, his Persona being weak to them.

"Then what would you rather like? An endless stream of Shadows or Morning Star spam?", Souji yelled back, the gong sounding again while dozens of lights shot out of Shadow Nanako's body.

"Void Nerve!", Fuuka shouted the next moment, concentrating as much as possible while her Persona Brynhildr created a huge shield above the battlefield that would block each and every status effect.

"Good! And now be careful not to tip the scales into another direction!", Souji shouted through the battlefield.

"Have to get there first!", Kanji grumbled, being surrounded by several pink alligators and other cute plush dolls from Patty's dungeons.

Several kings that looked like the mascot of the Pringles commercial summoned small little baby-like Shadows, each of them ramming against Shadow Nanako, making Souji's head drag down the scales.

"Shit, no! Not another Morning Star spell!", Yosuke shouted, panicked, and tried to get through the sea of Shadows that only grew more and more since there were also Shadows among them that could summon smaller ones.

Souji's head had now completely dragged down the scales to its side, and a loud gong was to be heard, a Morning Star spell being immediately launched on the whole battlefield, throwing everyone - even all of those Shadows - to the side. Fortunately, mot of the Shadows immediately dissipated into black fog after being hit by the spell, defeated.

It took a few seconds before all of the dust that the explosion that had raised had settled down again and the friends who had slowly stood up once more could see everything clearly again.

"Another attack like that and I'm finished, even with those healing spells...", Chie wheezed, getting more and more tired, and looked at Kanji and Rise who, despite having stronger Personas, looked equally ready to collapse.

"Hehehe... You think that's everything I've got, my dears?", Bagman's laughing voice echoed through the room the next moment.

"Get out and show yerself, ya asshole!", Kanji snapped.

"Ugh, Tatsumi, just shut up! Your disgusting voice is giving me a headache!", Bagman replied, followed by a knock, as if the old Shadow had punched the ground with his cane again. "You know, three heads are just far too unesthetic, don't you think? I think that four heads might be far better than that and round up things a bit!"

"What? You damn...!", Yosuke shouted in anger and groaned when another head grew on the scales a moment later, this one looking like Bagman's head and being double the size of the other three heads, meaning it weighed much more than the others.

Within a few seconds Bagman's head had dragged down the scales to its side, and about a metre away a black portal suddenly appeared through which a robot-like giant arm shot out, a second arm following seconds later together with the head of Shadow Naoto who tried to get out of the portal as quickly as possible.

"That head summons extremely powerful Shadows!", Rise warned, but Izanagi had already shot forwards and hit Shadow Nanako, making the head of Nanako's mother drag the scales to its side.

Shadow Naoto was pulled back into the portal with a loud grumble while bright lights shot out of the scales that were blocked by one of Brynhildr's shields.

"Come on now!", Souji shouted, sliced through the few Shadows that had survived the Morning Star spell and stormed towards the scales.

Bagman's laugh only increased in volume as the head that looked like him started to drag down the scales once again since it was double the weight of the other heads and would always drag down the scales again after a short moment.

"Uiuiuiuiui!", Teddie screamed in panic as the black portal opened again and Shadow Kou immediately shot out of it.

"Okay, aim at the scales and-", Souji started, but didn't get any further since Kou's Shadow had already fillwed the whole room with a bright white light that robbed each and every member of the Investigation Team member of their sight.

"Ugh! Not THAT again!", Yosuke grumbled, only to groan in pain seconds later when Shadow Kou had punched him in the stomach.

"Ziodyne!", Kanji yelled, his eyes having gotten used to the bright light thanks to his shades already.

Chuckling, Kou's Shadow jumped to the side, turned its head so that its dark side was in the foreground, and black darkness immediately engulfed the whole area, once again robbing them all of their sides.

"Now hit the head that looks like the Fool!", Bagman's voice ordered Kou's Shadow.

"No, he won't!", Souji shouted, having covered her eyes during the time the bright light had covered the area so that he was now able to clearly see the Shadow. Izanagi hit Kou's Shadow with a Zionga spell before he smashed against Shadow Nanako, making Nanako's mother's head drag down the scales once again.

Shadow Kou screamed and cursed as he disappeared again while Fuuka errected her shield against status ailments again.

Souji started running towards Nanako's Shadow, the others still blinded by the sudden light, but Bagman's head had dragged down the scales towards its direction in a matter of seconds, and with a loud screech Yukiko's Shadow shot through the black portal, hitting Souji with the weights it was carrying, away from the scales.

"On your knees, worthless commoners! Oh ho ho ho ho!", the giant bird-like Shadow shouted, dodged Teddie and Chie's Bufu spells and smashed its weights through the room to stop the friends from reaching Nanako's Shadow. Rokuten-Mao managed to get behind it and grabbed the bird-like Shadow.

"Let go this instant, serf!", the Shadow protested, tried to break and free and crashed against the scales in the process, Dojima's head dragging down the scales now.

Dozens of little Shadow crawled their way out of the ground and jumped at the Investigation Team as Yukiko's Shadow disappeared again.

"I'm not gonna last much longer!", Yosuke complained, wheezing in exhertion.

Bagman's head started dragging down the scales once more.

_`We have to end this, and fast!´_, Souji thought, also out of breath, as he destroyed one small Shadow after another. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to reach Nanako's Shadow in time before another powerful Shadow would break through the portal.

The black portal slowly opened once again, and a small child-like hand shot through it, followed by another one that clung to an old frazzled teddy bear.

"NO!", Souji shouted in horror. "STOP THAT THING!"

"Partner, what...?", Yosuke started, puzzled.

"THAT'S MY SHADOW THAT'S TRYING TO GET OUT OF THERE!"

"Hwataaaah!", Teddie who had rolled through the mass of enemies in a perfect copy of Chie, jumped up at the scales and kicked at it.

Nanako's Shadow was dragged down by Souji's head moments later.

"Ooops... Err, s-sorry?", Teddie apologized meekly, everyone being smashed to the side by the Morning Star spell that followed seconds later.

"Okay... that's it for me...", Yosuke groaned from the ground, unable to stand up again.

"Toughen up... Gaysuke...", Chie snapped at him and tried to stand up, only to fall back down to the ground.

Souji, also lying on the ground, looked around in the room: None of her allies seemed to be able to stand up again. _`Damn...´_

"Is that really the extent of your abilites?", Bagman's voice echoed through the room. "Is that really the best the Fool and his friends can do? Hah! I had only expected more. Well then... I guess it's time to say goodbye, my dears..."

Bagman's head pulled down the scales once again, and the black portal opened another time through the slimy muddy-like tentacles of Saki's Shadow advanced, each of them slowly wrapping around one of the friends.

Out of the corner of his eyes the severely wounded Souji who was being pulled towards Shadow Saki could see Bagman appearing out ouf the ground, walking triumphantly towards Nanako.

"No... Nanako... chan...", Souji wheezed.

"Hmph, it really took some effort to get this far.", Bagman sighed and was just about to pick the unconscious Nanako up when he was thrown off his feet and against a wall by a blue light.

"What is...?", he shouted, baffled, and noticed the grinning snowball Jack Frost who had woken up again. "YOU AGAIN?" He jumped up and shot towards the snowball, but it was already too late: Jack Frost had once again created a protective shield around the sleeping Nanako that threw the old Shadow against the wall again.

With a loud squeak the snowball shot through the room, smashed Saki's Shadow against the wall, away from the friends, and came to a halt in front of Souji.

"Jack... Frost...?", Souji groaned from the ground and looked up at the grinning doll that was slowly growing blue butterfly wings. "What is...?" Blue light rained down on the Fool who was suddenly able to stand up again, still staring at Jack Frost in wonder while the grinning doll began flying around him in circles. And suddenly Souji understand. "... Philemon?" The grinning snowman nodded, and suddenly the Compendium that Souji had been carrying with him shot forth and landed in the snowballs hands. "Does that mean...?"

He looked questioningly at the grinning snowman - Philemon - who was now flying back towards Nanako inside the barrier and gently shook her. Nanako grumbled slightly before she slowly opened her eyes and stared at the flying snowman, puzzled.

"Jack... Frost...?", she mumbled and took the snowball who was flying towards her in her arms. She slowly stood up and looked around. "What is that..?", she said in horror and looked at the slimy body of Saki's Shadow before her gaze landed on the friends. "Yosuke-nii! And Chie-nii! And... And..." Her gaze landed on Souji, the only standing now. "Big... Big Bro...?" She looked at her cousin's female body in confusion. "What...?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Nanako startled when she heard the angry scream of Bagman who just didn't manage to get through the barrier at all.

Jack Fro-, Philemon let out an encouraging squeal and veiled the twelve years old in a warm blue light that immediately spread through every pore of her body.

"Thank you, Jack Frost...", Nanako thanked him before she turned around towards Bagman with a determined look, concentrating. "Big Bro!", she shouted seconds later. "He can't use any more of his barriers!"

"... Wh-what?", Souji asked her, puzzled.

"Jack Frost tells me that that bad man can't use any more of his barriers!", Nanako shouted at him and then angrily looked at Bagman who glared just as angrily back.

"You damn...!", the old Shadow cursed, but jumped back immediately when a Zionga spell from Izanagi was thrown at him.

Saki's Shadow started to move again at the same moment.

"Big Bro!", Nanako shouted and raised her left hand into the air while still holding Philemon with her right hand.

Souji looked at her questioningly for a moment before she nodded, ripping Izanagi's tarot card out of her body. Seconds later the card shot towards Nanako's raised hand, being abosbred by Philemon.

"Jack Frost says that you can only summon Personas that fit your Social Links, Big Bro! The higher your Social Link, the more powerful Personas you can summon of that Arcana! Devil and Temperance are your highest once right now!"

Souji thought for a moment before she raised her hand and yelled: "SUZAKU!"

Philemon glowed blue for a moment, and Suzaku's tarot card appeared over the Fool who immediately smashed it, summoning the red glowing bird-like Persona that through several Agidyne spells at Saki's Shadow. Fire spells being its weakness, the Shadow let out several screams of pains and backed away into a corner, uncovering Nanako's Shadow that it had engulfed. Suzaku immediately advanced towards the scales and smashed it against the wall, throwing several Agidyne spells at the Shadow which made Dojima's head pull down the scales.

Souji ripped the tarot card out of her body again, changed her Persona and yelled loudly: "Vishnu!" A God's Hand was launched at Shadow Nanako after a Power Charge attack which finally tore the Shadow to pieces, followed by a Megidoloan spell from Vishnu which eliminated the remaining small Shadows. "Hah! Thank you Hisano-san!", Souji thanked the old lady for his almost maxed Temperance Social Links and toward Bagman who looked mighty annoyed now. "Power Charge!", Souji yelled, doubling his physical strength.

"You dare...!", Bagman yelled in fury and quickly tried to break through Philemon's barrier once again, only to be shoved away.

"GOD'S HAND!", Souji yelled, Vishnu immediately throwing the feared physical attack at Bagman who was barely able to dodge the attack by disappearing into the ground. "Get out, old man!"

"Haha! Just try and find me, my dear!", Bagman chuckled, his voice echoing through the room.

"He's over there, Big Bro!", Nanako shouted and pointed at a point just centimetres to Kou's right.

"God's Hand!", Souji yelled again, and the golden Hand crashed to the ground right next to Kou.

There was a choked scream before Bagman shot out of the ground the next moment and sank to the ground, hit by the attack. "How is that possible...?"

"Jack Frost can sense you, you bad old man!", Nanako yelled at him.

"YOU...!"

"GOD'S HAND!", Souji only yelled again and smashed Bagman right in the face, against a wall.

"This can't be... happening...!", Bagman wheezed and disappeared into the ground, only to be hit once again thanks to Nanako locating his presence.

"Damn sensory type...!", Bagman groaned before he vanished into the ground once again.

Silence, then...

"He... He's gone...", Nanako said.

"Gone?", Souji repeated questioningly.

"Hmhm... Me and Jack Frost can't sense him anymore...", Nanako explained before she and Philemon closed both of their eyes and fell to the ground, having reached the end of their strength. The barrier around them immediately disappeared.

"Nanako-chan!", Souji shouted and ran towards her.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Inaba Prison...

Shaking and slightly hunched one of the prisoners sat on his bed in the darkness of his cell and listened to the jailors' loud screams and all of those explosions that were happening inside the prison.

But the person wasn't shaking out of fear due, no. It was more like they were shaking in excitement.

The grin on that person's face grew even wider as the door to his cell was blown apart from one of the explosions, opening the way outside. Slowly they stood up from the bed and shuffled through the room, walking slightly hunched as alway.

"Aaha... Just like in a video game... Boom... Hahaha..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

There was a loud bang, followed by surprised screams, when Bagman suddenly shot through the flatscreen TV in Naoto's lounge. He made Patty, Saki and Yukiko crash agains one of the room's walls with the help of his cane and grabbed Naoto's neck at the same, choking her and pressing her against another wall.

"You...!", Naoto wheezed, being completely overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of the old Shadow, and tried to regain her breath.

Yukiko was the first one to get back on her feet and tried helping Naoto, but was immediately punched to the ground again by Bagman's alchemy.

"Let's let the Fool decide, shall we!", Bagman growled in absolute fury and pulled the heavily resisting Naoto with him towards the TV. Once again he punched the other three women who had gotten back up away, completely ignoring that Naoto was close to being choked to death.

"Nanako-chan or one of his friends! Who is more important to him!"


	113. Chapter 110: Eurydice

_**Chapter 110: Eurydice**_

Author's notes: Battle theme: www youtube com / watch?v=wdframgnBVE

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Let's let the Fool decide, shall we!", Bagman growled in absolute fury and pulled the heavily resisting Naoto with him towards the TV. Once again he punched the other three women who had gotten back up away, completely ignoring that Naoto was close to being choked to death.

"Nanako-chan or one of his friends! Who is more important to him!"

The young detective was slowly losing consciousness, her arms that had been clawing at the hand that was choking her slowly sinking down.

"Naoto-kun!", Yukiko shouted, having managed to stand up again together with the other two women again, and stormed towards the old Shadow once more.

"Just stay out of this already and go to sleep! It's long past bed time, my dears!", Bagman snapped at them and with his free hand that wasn't choking Naoto swung his cane at them. The following shockwave hit both Yukiko and Saki who were thrown backwards against the wall, knocked out, while Patty managed to jump behind lounge's second bed in time. "Hmph...", Bagman harrumphed, thinking he had managed to hit all three of them and continued towards the TV, not noticing Patty who was carefully and quietly crawling around the bed. "What the...?", the old Shadow gasped seconds later in bewilderment when suddenly Patty grabbed both of his feet from behind, making him fall to the ground together with the unconscious Naoto. "WHO...?", Bagman yelled, rolled on his back and furiously looked up at Patty who was kneeling above him. "YOU...!" But he didn't manage to speak any further since the red-haired student quickly punched his soft parts with both hands that she had balled to fists with as much force as she could muster. "Agh...!", the old professor cried out in pain and writhed on the floor while Patty immediately tried to grab the Shadow's cane. "No, you won't!", the Shadow screamed, grabbed the red-haired woman and tried to push her to the side. Patty's elbow hit him in the face next, as they were rolling around the floor and clawing at each other, each of them trying to get the cane first. Bagman's pocket was ripped to pieces in the process and the old diary that the old Shadow had stored inside it fell out and was accidentally punched against the wall by one of Patty's fists where it fell to the ground and suddenly started randomly leafing through its pages.

At once the image of a small child with red hair - Mitsuru Kirijo as a child - shot out of the diary's page that was currently open.

"What... is that?", the young Mitsuru, surprise evident on her face as she stared at something that was hidden deeper inside the diary.

The image changed to a somewhat younger version of Bagman who chuckled in amusement as he answered: "Alchemy."

"What...?", Patty started, she and the Shadow being so startled by the sudden voices behind them that they were both now staring at the diary that was now hectically leafing through its pages on its own, stopping once again at a random page and showing the image of an even younger Bagman who was standing on a rainy street together with a very small boy and a baby buggy.

"Akihiko...", the Bagman inside the diary spoke with a choked voice, eyes completely empty and dead, and shortly looked at the small boy next to him before his gaze returned to the slightly run-down looking building in front of them.

The diary was once again leafing through its own pages like mad, and suddenly the image of a brown-haired boy who was rolling around the floor while choking, as if he was about to die from lack of air, popped up from its depths.

"H-Hiro...", Patty stammered with huge eyes.

Bagman, now looking older than the one they had just seen standing on the rainy street again, hectically knelt down to the boy, several pills in his hand. "Just take them already!", the old man screamed, panic evident in his voice. Little Hiro vehemently shook his hand and even tried rolling away, screaming in pain now. "I said, take them already!", Bagman yelled now, slapped the boy and forced the pills down his throat. The boy stopped dead in his tracks seconds later, lying motionlessly on the ground.

The diary started leafing through its pages once more, seconds later showing the image of a woman with silvery-white hair and red piercing eyes that glared down in anger at Bagman who was kneeling on the ground and looking rather tense, although with a determined look in his eyes.

"Impertinent little human!", the woman shouted, her voice echoing through the room as the white robe she was wearing was being blown to all side despite there being now wind whatsoever in the room. "You really dare summoning me like that?" She raised one of her hands, but immediately stopped as Bagman held something towards her.

"I think both of us have a lot to discuss... Izanami-san.", Bagman said to her.

"ENOUGH!", Bagman snarled, having managed to snap out of his shock first and snatching the cane, closed the book with a hectically swing from said cane und punched a completely perplexed Patty away from him and against the wall with a second swing. "Who do think you are, Sideu!", the old Shadow shouted at her, took the diary back from the floor and walked towards her, cane raised and ready to attack.

But Patty who had stood up from the ground again didn't look at the old professor in fear, no. Her eyes were completely ablaze with anger. "That was... Hiro... wasn't he?", she wheezed, the hit she had just taken having hurt her immensely.

"... Hmm? Oh, that.", Bagman said, shortly confused by the redhead's question. "Well, as you could see, it was him indeed.

"You...", Patty snarled, voice frosty and full of hatred, seeing the scene with Hiro rolling around the floor in pain, and Bagman who was forcing him down those pills, in slowmotion in front of her eyes again. "All of it... The reason why Hiro is the way he is... It's all your fault, isn't it?"

Bagman grinned broadly and maliciously now and once again raised his cane, ready to knock her out.

"ANSWER ME ALREADY!", Patty yelled in fury, tears in her eyes, and suddenly grabbed the Neo Evoker from the back of her pants that she had received during the training in the Kirijo hall.

"What...?", Bagman said in confusion as the redhead took out the revolver, but smiled again the next moment. "Don't be ridiculous, now! As if you could eve-"

But he didn't get any further when Patty angrily pointed the Neo Evoker at her temple and yelled loudly: "EURYDICE!"

"What is...?", Bagman stammered in disbelief as a beautiful nymph rose from the blue light around Patty's body, a silver mirror in her hand that was surrounded by a blue flowing robe that looked like water. A few moments later several white glowing lights rose from the mirror, all of them surrounding Bagman.

"What is this nonsense?", Bagman yelled and angrily looked at Patty who glared right back at him, the blue light surrounding her still glowing brightly. The lights constricted more and more around the old Shadow's body. "Enough of this foolishness!", the Shadow yelled and fired several salvos of Agidyne from his cane at the lights which immediately absorbed the attacks and turned red, sending the spells back at the Shadow who was thrown through the room and crashed against one of the walls. "Graaaah!", the old Shadow screamed, beside himself with rage, jumped up from the ground and quickly raised his cane, ready to reciprocate, but stopped when a bullet barely missed him: Naoto who had just regained consciousness was aiming at the old Shadow's heart with her revolver.

"The next one certainly won't!", the young detective warned him.

"You shut your mouth, you damn brat!", Bagman snapped at her and swung his cane at her, lightning-quick, dozens of elementary spells being immediately fired at Naoto who wasn't able to react in time. The lights that Patty's Persona Eurydice had created all shot in front of her to protect her, absorbing the spells and sending them back at Bagman who was barely able to dodge. Nearly half of Naoto's lounge was destroyed instead. Naoto immediately fired another bullet at the old Shadow who hurriedly changed the bullet's direction with his cane in order to avoid the otherwise serious damage done to him.

"Grrr...", the old professor snarled and was about to vanish into the ground.

"Tetrakarn!", Patty yelled at the same time, and a physical barrier was immediately created underneath the Shadow's feet, preventing the old Shadow from escaping.

"This can't be happening...!", Bagman yelled in fury, blocked another bullet from Naoto as he jumped back, and stormed out of the lounge.

"Get back her!", Naoto yelled after him and stormed out and into the corridors after him, closely followed by Patty and her Persona.

Bagman tried disappearing into the ground again and again so that he could get away, but Patty blocked his escape path each time with one of her Tetrakarn spells.

"Damn you...!", Bagman raged while continuing to run, his eyes widening the next moment when he noticed that he was running towards Ken and Junpei's direction. Both men had left the hospital once they had been sure that Akihiko was out of any serious danger, and had returned towards Tanaba University to see if they could help the Investigation Team in any way.

"Junpei-san! Ken-san! Watch out!", Naoto yelled at both of them since they hadn't noticed Bagman yet.

Both men startled at being yelled at, but both immediately drew their Neo Evokers seconds later, throwing spells at Bagman who cursed quite loudly as he tried his best to dodge and block everything that was thrown at him.

"Leave me alone, you brats!", the old Shadow shouted angrily, shoved both Junpei and Ken to the side with the help of his cane's alchemy and stormed further through the corridor, the four friends right behind him.

Some students stuck their heads out of their lounges - the loud noises and those explosions had finally made them curious enough to see what the Psycho Club was doing now -, but were immediately sent back to sleep with the sleeping spell `Dormina´ from Patty's Persona so that they didn't see the Personas and everything else and panic in the process.

Bagman stormed through the corridors as fast as his alchemy would allow, the four friends still managing to keep up with him, dodging his enemy's attacks and throwing back his own spells at them, until he finally reach the PC. He stopped in front of the ruined hall, swung his cane towards its direction and then dashed outside and towards the campus.

"You won't get away!", Naoto yelled after him, slightly out of breath, and was was just about to open the entrance door and run outside when she had to jump backwards together with the others in horror as hundreds of pieces of rocks and debris from the PC's ruins were hurled at them, blocking their path so that Bagman could finally escape into the ground.

"Damn... He was seriously in a hurry...", Junpei said after the torrent of rocks had finally ended.

"I guess he didn't get what he wanted, did he?", Ken asked the two women.

"It would seem so.", Naoto replied and bit her lower lip. "I only we could have managed to capture and restrain him. He's still a huge danger to everyone now."

"Huh...", Junpei simply hummed as a reply and looked around in the entrance hall that was completely damaged and full of rocks and debris now. "Oh man! Just look at what you did, you asshole! The janitor's gonna have to clean all of that up! And know who the janitor is? Always me, of course! Maaaaaaaaaan!"

Ken simply threw a look that was a mix between disbelief and annoyance at him.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The moment Souji had reached Nanako and had lifted her into her arms, everything around them had suddenly started glowing blue before she was suddenly sitting inside the Velvet Room which was somehow looking like a oversized playroom, the sleeping Nanako and Philemon on her lap.

"And welcome back to the Velvet Room, once again.", Igor who was all alone this time - where was Aigis? - greeted her, grinning like a lunatic as always, chin supported by his folded hands. And as he saw Souji's new female form: "Oh, this is something else for sure."

"... You don't seem that surprised.", Souji noted and continued to look around the playroom in confusion.

"But you do even more.", Igor chuckled. "Well, there are many strange things happening in our world. Suddenly seeing a female version of one of my guests shouldn't come as that much of a surprise, I suppose." A short swining motion with his hand, and hundreds of little lights rose from the table in front of him and swirled through the room. "These lights you see here represent all of the different universes and dimensions that currently exist. Each and every day new ones are born while old ones die. I am quite sure that out there somewhere is a dimension with a female Souji Seta. Just take your predessor Minato Arisato as an example: The probability of him ending up as a female was very high since that young man was born under a quite ambiguous star. Hmhmhm... I am sure dear Theodore would have been quite happy to serve a charming young lady in this Velvet Room." The lights disappeared again, and Igor, so absorbed in his explanation, only now realized that Souji hadn't really been listening to him. "The Velvet Room always takes a form that befits the current guest's destiny; I had already told you that many years ago.", he explained to Souji who was now looking at him again. "Since there are currently two guests at once here, it was randomly decided with form it would take. In the end it had decided on the guest in your lap."

"Nanako-chan is a guest hier?", Souji asked, baffled.

"Exactly. She is the guest I already told you about, not as a Fool, but as the vessel and nurturer of Master Philemon. She will help Master Philemon regain his old powers.", Igor answered, nodding.

"... I-I don't quite understand.", Souji said to that.

"Well...", Igor began and sighed, shortly looked to the ground in thought, and then started explaining: "As you have already painfully noted, Master Philemon had suddenly disappeared quite some time ago, his whereabouts having been completely unknown to us who reside in this Velvet Room." Souji nodded. "In the beginning we had no idea why Master Philemon had even vanished to begin with. This had, as you can imagine, been quite an inconvenience to us all, especially when a guest - I mean you, of course - suddenly had needed our help again which we could only partly offer." His gaze fell onto Nanako. "But this awkward situation seemed to change when one day another guest entered the Velvet Room together with a grinning plush doll. It had taken only a short while for Aigis and I to recognize our Master inside the doll, and the mystery about Master Philemon's disappearance had started to clear more and more."

"So why did he disappear exactly?", Souji asked.

"Master Philemon's powers had been stressed far too often which had in the end made him so weak that his subconsciousness had to take refuge inside the plush doll here in front of us.", Igor answered. "One of those times he had to use so much of his powers was when he had to use all of Minato Arisato's Social Links to create the Universe Persona with which Nyx had been sealed. Another time this had happened was when had used all of your Social Links' powers to create the World Persona Izanagi-no-Okami. After that Master Philemon had been so weakened, this body had finally given in, his subconsciousness fleeing into another object to avoid completely disappearing."

Souji stared at him in complete disbelief for a moment before she slowly said: "But... But he's a god! And gods are-"

"Ameno-sagiri and Izanami were gods as well, my boy.", Igor reminded him. "And both of them were defeated by mere mortals. Even the immortal goddess Nyx had been sealed by a mortal being, preventing her to fullfil her deadly mission. Gods are not the infinitely powerful beings that humans make them out to be. Even their powers have their limits. And that limit had finally been reached after Master Philemon had created Izanagi-no-Okami. If there had been several years between the creation of Arisato's and your Persona, then there most likely wouldn't have been any problem at all, but far too little time had passed between those two creations. Besides, Arisato and you haven't been the only guests in this Velvet Room who had been in need of our Master's power. Before you two he even had to help several residents at once, only to in the end help them change reality into a completely different one where those people had never met as children (Author's notes: Persona 2 reference!). All of that had slowly caused his demise."

"And now... he's inside that doll that I'd once given to Nanako-chan as a present.", Souji said, staring at the sleeping Philemon inside the Jack Frost doll.

"Exactly.", Igor said, nodding. "Master Philemon needs an individual of pure hard in order to get his powers back. As far as I know, his first target had been the Shadow you all call Teddie. In his care it would have been almost completely assured that you two would have met someday. But in the end something had hindered him from choosing that Shadow as his vessel, and so he had chosen Nanako Dojima instead who also has a pure heart and is close to you. At any rate, the connection between our Master and the chosen pure individual will make Master Philemon grow stronger and stronger while the chosen individual will at the same time receive some of our Master's power as well."

"Wich means?"

"Well, you have already seen part of those powers during the battle against the Shadow that calls itself Yosufu Bagman.", Igor replied. "And those powers will only grow more and more inside the girl. Especially her ability to help you summon multiple Personas again will be a tremendous help to you. That is mainly the reason why Master Philemon had to choose someone close to you. So that you would soon meet again, as I have already told you."

Souji was now looking quite uncomfortable. The idea of having Nanako join their adventures inside the TV world absolutely didn't sit well with him.

"But still, you should be a little more careful in the future.", Igor continued. "Master Philemon has still a long way to go until he has regained his old powers, and the summoning of multiple Personas is quite exhausting to him. The stronger the Personas you summon, the faster he will fall asleep, like it now happened, and it will take some time until he is able to help you again. You have to choose your Personas very carefully."

"... And Nanako-chan really has to be present so that Philemon can help me?", Souji asked him.

"Until his full powers are back, yes."

"No, thanks.", Souji immediately said to that.

Igor looked at her questioningly.

"Nanako-chan is... No, I won't drag my cousin into this any further!", Souji said decidecly.

"My boy - well, girl now -, the obstacles that await you on your further journey will only continue to grow in size and number.", Igor said. "Already you have only been able to defeat this Shadow thanks to Master Philemon's help. Without him-"

"I will still manage to come through. After all, I've still got all of my friends with me.", Souji interrupted him. "Nanako-chan as already been through way too much in her life. It's more than enough for her."

Igor sighed. "As you wish..."

"But there's still more I wish to know.", Souji said and stood up, still carrying Nanako in Philemon in her arms.

"... Yes?"

"You said Nanako's heart is pure. So why did a Shadow appear from her?"

"Oh, that's because of the other resident of this Velvet Room who is called Theodore.", Igor answered him. "The Shadow named Bagman needs Nanako Dojima alive, so Theodore had forced out her Shadow, leaving Bagman no other choice but to protect the girl from her Shadow. That way Theodore was able to keep the old Shadow away from the girl without using any major Personas which would have only weakened Master Philemon more and more the longer the fight went on. Of course, Theodore didn't anticipate that Bagman would be able to overwhelm him and use him to make the girl's Shadow attack you. That is also the reason why Aigis is currently away: The moment you defeated the girl's Shadow and made Bagman leave the other world, she went to retrieve Theodore and stop the girl's Shadow."

"To stop it? But that means...!", Souji began.

"Yes. This Shadow is forced out. It will continue to attack until it is called back from one of the Velvet Room's residents. That is what Aigis just did."

And if on cue Aigis suddenly shot through the Velvet Room's walls and layed down the badly hurt Theodore on the ground before she took a short glance at Souji's female form. She threw a questioning glance at Igor who nodded, then turned back to Souji, nodded at him and shot right through the wall again, leaving.

"What...?", Souji began.

"We will get to that another time.", Igor interrupted him. "But now it is time for you to return to your friends. But one thing before that: Your new female body. It happened because the girl in your arms wished for her mother to come back. Master Philemon's power went out of control while trying to protect the girl, and so the girl's powers had mixed with our Master's powers, creating the dollhouse with its puppets. And that turned you into a woman in the end."

"... But I will get my male body back someday... right?", Souji asked, slightly nervous now.

"Oh, I guess one or two months, and you will be back to normal.", Igor replied happily.

"... Woohoo...", Souji only sighed before Igor waved at her while everything around her dissolved, transporting her back towards the Hell Dungeon where her friends were already waiting for her.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

About a day later...

"Ahahahaha! Stop! Stoop!", Nanako squealed happily, Philemon flying around her and making some high-pitched noises, and ran through the crystal clear sea water, trying to escape from Hiro and Junpei who were both splashing her with water.

Souji observed the scene from the beach in amusement while thrown several deathglares at Teddie from time to time who was sitting next to her sniffling in disappointment over the fact that the silver-haired Fool would rather wear a short shirt and pants instead of a nice and daring swimsuit.

Shortly after they had left the Hell dungeon last night, everything had happened quite quickly and hectically: Naoto had immediately told them about what had happened between them at Bagman at the university, and also about her worries that Bagman could return any time to strike and try to take Nanako with him once again. This had prompted Ken to call Mitsuru at the hospital who had suggested them fleeing towards her family's mansion in Yakushima, hiding together with Nanako there.

Souji, Nanako and the rest of the Investigation Team - except Naoto - would all be staying there together with Ken, Junpei and for some reason also Hiro - Patty had wanted him with them and had ordered him to come over from their family's mansion - until the police had managed to finally catch Bagman together with the help of Naoto, Mitsuru and Akihiko - once the young director was feeling better, of course.

Souji had protested at first since the police would never be able to catch the old Shadow, but, as Naoto had fully and lengthily explained to him, it was now far more important to hide Nananko as best as possible and at the same time have enough people with her to protect her. After that talk the silver-haired Fool had finally begrudgingly agreed.

The young detective had also tried to call Dojima to inform him about the successfull rescue of Nanako. Unfortunately, the detective's cell phone seemed to have fallen out of the jacket that Saki had neatly folded during his blackout, which the friends had only then noticed as it they had heard its ringing from under the second bed in Naoto's lounge. Of course, this meant that they currently had no means of getting into contact with Dojima at all.

Two hours later all of them had already been sitting inside a helicopter, arranged by Mitsuru, that had brought them to the beach of Yakushima. With Akihiko's help as a director they could stay away from Tanaba University without any consequences at all as they needed.

_`And now we'll just wait and see, I guess...´_, Souji thought and looked from the spectacle at the sea up at the brightly burning sun. She didn't know why, but ever since their flight towards Yakushima had started she had had quite a queasy feeling in her stomach, and it only continued to get worse and worse...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: For those who don't know it: Eurydice was Orpheus' wife. So yes, I made Patty have the wives of both of the last two main character's Personas as her own Personas. ;) **

pizzabunny5: To check if he had really become a woman. To put it simply: He was making sure whether he still had his dick or not.


	114. Chapter 111: Old friends' meeting

_**Chapter 111: Old friends' meeting**_

It had happened only a little bit after Souji and his friends had saved Nanako from the Hell dungeon.

With all the chaos that had been going on after Namatame had murdered the prison's director and Adachi, a dark figure had used its chance to appear out of the ground and sneak around the shadows, unnotice by the jailors and police officers who were running around hectically, trying to restore order and re-capture the other inmates who had managed to break out as well, and at the same time try to do something against the fire that had been caused by all of the explosions that Namatame had let loose and that was quickly spreading throughout the facility.

Letting his gaze drift over the chaos shortly, the figure sighed, before it crabbily threw down the corpse of a small child that it had brought with it to the ground, and started to move towards its destination.

The figure silently scurried through destroyed corridors, easily lifted up debris that was blocking its way, and finally reached a now rather disgusting smelling cell in which Adachi and the director's corpses were lying.

"Hmm...", the figure - Yosufu Bagman hummed - and breathed in the air long and slowly, as if he was trying to sniff out something specific inside the cell. "Now, where is...?" He took out his cane underneath the black traveling coat he now wore, and waved it through the room several times before looking rather annoyed. "It's not here...", he grumbled and angrily kicked the director's corpse. "It's your fault, you stupid fool! Who told you to actually die!" He sighed onc again and closed his eyes in thought. The thing which he was looking for had to still be inside the prison. "With this many people here, it _has_ to be quite close. After all, it clings to the first person it can find...", he surmised and left the cell again.

He quietly sneaked up to the next floor and was just about to enter another dark hallway when he suddenly sensed someone behind him, unfortunately too late. The moment the old Shadow turned around, he came face to face with a person who was just about to strike at him with an old and rusty pocket knife. But something silvery-white immediately appeared in front of Bagman, taking the hit instead of the old Shadow and throwing the attacker to the ground. The apparitional figure dissolved in a scream of agony, followed by a bright light that allowed Bagman to get a short glimpse at his attacker's face.

"You're...!", the old professor began.

"Ahaha... It went Boom!", Mitsuo Kubo chuckled and hectically jumped up from the ground, his whole body shaking with excitement as his grin got brider and crazier. "Do I get a level up or something now?"

"Ugh, do I really have to get annoyed by vermin like you...", Bagman sighed, Kubo already jumping at him again. One wave with his cane and Kubo was thrown against the wall where he sank to the ground, unconscious. "Stupid brat!", the old Shadow snarled at Kubo and walked towards him, annoyed, only to suddenly stop in his tracks. He looked at Kubo for a short while, seemingly lost in thought, before he waved his cane in front of the unconscious man a few times. He smiled. "Your Shadow looks interesting, my dear. A rather sturdy barrier that protects the user at all costs, huh...?" He was just about to grab Kubo when he suddenly heard some loud noise coming from outside. Bagman whirled around, slightly startled, and looked outside one of the windows. "Oh, how delightful!", he said the next moment, his eyes fixated on something quickly moving outside the building. "Delightful, indeed." His smile turned into a triumphant grin as he felt that something that he had been searching for inside the prison come nearer and nearer.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"How about `Yosukey´?" A first suggestion after long time of thinking.

"`Yosukey´?", the other person in the room repeated questioningly and amused at the same tim.

"Well, you know...", the first person tried to explain, a bit embarrassed now.

"Uh, yeah, I get what you mean..." Another amused chuckle by the second person. "Well, how about `Yosuke´ then? Ya know, without the `y´ at the end?"

"Hmm..." The first person looked long and thoughtfully at the peacefully sleeping baby inside the crib. "Yosuke... That sounds nic."

"Doesn't it!", the second person said and also looked at the infant. "This is our baby, Aigis."

"Hmhm...", the first person - Aigis - agreed and nodded happily.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Aigis sighed deeply while she, still deeply lost in her memories of the past, stared at the giant black door that she had just now reached, surrounded by thick yellow fog. She was just about to take another step towards the giant building when suddenly another figure with jet black hair appeared out of thin air, wearing a red mask in the form of a butterfly.

"Metis.", Aigis said, nodding, and continued her way towards the building, followed by Metis.

"I came as fast as I could once I'd sensed you sumoning me, sister.", Metis said, and her voice took on a slightly unsure tone as she continued. "But do you really think it's wise to face her like this?"

"I will be meeting an old friend, Metis.", Aigis replied, now having reached the entrance - the giant black gate - with her robot sister. "I want to fully be the person that she said goodbye to so many years ago once we meet again."

"Alright...", Metis said, although with some displeasure, and returned to Aigis' sea of souls a moment later.

"Orpheus...", the former blonde Anti Shadow Robot mumbled seconds later when she felt the presence of the Persona she had given to Metis returning to her unconsciousness, while at the same time the ice that had frozen her heart and made her unfeeling and uncaring was slowly melting, now that Metis - her emotions incarnate - had returned to her.

Aigis looked up at the giant gate one last time, before she finally opened it and entered it.

"Spin..."

"Measure..."

"Snip..."

Three voices, one more different in terms of emotional state than the other, snarled at the same, their voices echoing through the dark arena that Aigis had entered, and for a short moment a raging storm started to let loose which immediately vanished once Aigis had taken a few steps inside the arena.

"Burn..."

"... My..."

"... Dread?"

"Yes?", Aigis only replied, nodding, and hurriedly continued through the arena, blood dripping randomly from the stones it was made of, as if an artist of abstract arts had worked on decorating the place. Having reached the other side of the building, Aigis immediately opened the other gate and had just taken the first step of an especially long stair behind it that led downwards when a loud howling could be heard. _`An alarm system against intruders, I think...´_, the blonde guessed and continued her path downwards the stairs, into the depths of a structure that continued to spread endlessly throughout the TV world's underground, like a tree's roots that continued to spread out more and more.

"Who's there?"

Having reached the end of the stairs, Aigis stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the question of a female person not far away from her, the thick fog only partially giving away her silhoutte. But still, the blonde could quite clearly make out who it was that was standing over there.

"Aigis.", she merely answered and noticed the other person shuddering a bit in the fog.

"Aigis...", the person repeated, sounding slightly nostalgic, before they moved towards the Anti Shadow weapon. "What do you want here?", they finally asked once they stood face to face. "Have you come to finally settle this with a fight?"

"No.", Aigis immediately replied.

"Then do you want to join us?", the other female asked, voice instantly hopeful. "Oh, I knew that one day you wo-"

"No, that's not it, either.", Aigis interrupted her, shaking her head.

"Then what?", the other one - Mrs. Hanamura - snapped, now with a rather frosty voice.

"I've come to talk to you one last time.", Aigis answered and looked around the structure of the Abyss of Time. "Where are the other two?"

"... Elizabeth is protecting the gate. I dunno where Margaret is, and frankly, I don't give a rat's ass.", Mrs. Hanamura said after hesitating for a moment.

"And Elizabeth won't join you here?"

"Since I was already near the entrance when the alarm system went off, she will leave taking care of the intruder to me, and rather continue to protect the gate.", Mrs. Hanamura replied. "But no matter what you may tell me, I will pass everything on to her either way."

"As you wish...", Aigis sighed and startled the next moment when she heard a muffled grumble, not far away from them. "What was...?"

"The reason I'm here.", Mrs. Hanamura explained and returned to where she had been standing before, followed by Aigis who slowly could make up the outlines of something big, before he eyes widened, faced with the thing in front of her.

"Is that... Jin?", she asked, almost whispering.

"Yup.", Mrs. Hanamura replied and also looked up at a giant black gate, slightly disgusted. There, positioned at the highes part of the gate and obviously writing in pain, was Jin Shirato - his upper body that was sticking out of the door (the rest of his body seemed to be stuck inside the gate itself) was as black as the gate -, screaming and blindly swinging his arms in fury.

"What...? Who did-?", Aigis began, disbelieving.

"Elizabeth and I did that, shortly before Margaret joined us.", Mrs. Hanamura answered her question. "Erebus had appeared time and time again to forcefully rip open the gate Minato was sealed inside, no matter how many times we destroyed him. In the end we sealed that disgusting Catdog imitation in this gate here, the same way Minato had done so with Nyx." She sighed. "Unfortunately, this seal here is far, far weaker than the one Minato created. If we don't come back here again and again to renew the seal, Erebus would have long since escaped again. This is only a makeshift method. A rather clumsy one, at that."

"... And Jin just agreed to that?", Aigis asked.

Mrs. Hanamra laughed, albeit without any humour in her voice. "Of course not.", she finally answered. "But who else should we have taken? Only scum like him deserves something like this, nobody else." She threw a last disgusted glance at Jin before she moved back to the stairs, Aigis right behind her. "We had first thought about exchanging Jin with Minato at the golden gate, but that would have been a complete failure. It needs someone of the same strength as Minato - the strength of a Fool -, or else Nyx will break the seal with ease. And that would obviously be-"

"... I see there is still a spark of hope.", Aigis suddenly interrupted her.

"Huh?"

"You're trying to keep Nyx sealed away. That's good.", Aigis explained, looking sad. "I'd started to fear that you would do anything - no matter the outcome - to get Minato out of the gate."

"Tsk! Don't be ridiculous!", Mrs. Hanamura snapped at her. "If that were, the case, I would have long since exchanged that annoying Margaret for Minato! She would strong enough to hold the seal in place, after all!" She looked to the side, annoyed. "Actually, I had already thought about doing so. Arrogant annoying bitch!" She looked back at Aigis, face serious. "But that wouldn't help Minato either. Do you know why?"

Aigis nodded. "There is only Minato's soul inside the gate. His body has long since been buried at Port Island's graveyard, decayed. If you were to release the soul from the gate, there would be no body to bind it, and it would be sucked into Nirvana after a while, forever lst..."

Mrs. Hanamura shuddered before she slowly nodded. "... And that's why there is only one possible solution.", she finally whispered.

"And what are you talking about, exactly?", Aigis asked her, now a bit irate. "Are you talking about what you're doing right now? Is that the possible solution you're talking about? A possible solution that has already cost hundreds of lives and will cost even more?"

"You're wrong!", Mrs. Hanamura snarled at her angrily. "What we're doing won't cost even one single life!"

It was now Aigis turn to laugh, without any humour in her voice. "Just open your eyes already! Why are you talking in future tense? This little game that you're playing _has_ already destroyed dozens of lives!"

"Not because of us, it didn't!", Mrs. Hanamura protested vehemently.

"No, you weren't directly involved, of course.", Aigis agreed angrily. "But you have let loose that abhorrent killer that has already killed several people at Tanaba University! That's your fault!"

"That was only because that person didn't have their powers under cont-"

"This killer - created by _you_, may I once again remind you - also led Yosufu Bagman's Shadow in this world! The same Shadow that has already killed thousands of children! Children, you understand? It's _your_ fault!"

"I'll say it again, that only happened because that person lost contr-"

"Excuses. Nothing but excuses from you.", Aigis sighed, disappointed. "I thought you might at least feel somewhat guilty. I thought you had realized that it's all your fault. That's why I came here: To talk with you, to give you one last chance and get you back. But that was a mistake..."

"Our plan was perfect!", Mrs. Hanamura snarled at her. "Nobody would have had to die if that useless failure hadn't messed up everything!"

"Putting all of the blame onto somebody else won't change the truth either!"

"It's _not_ our fault!", Mrs. Hanamura screamed back at her.

"And there will be even more deaths, should your plan succeed!", Aigis continued, dunning, ignoring Mrs. Hanamura's angry protest.

"How so?", Mrs. Hanamura asked derisively. "Bagman's as good finished. Once he comes here and tries to join us, we'll kill him!"

"I'm not talking about Bagman. I'm talking about your idea to pull Minato's soul out of the gate and replace him with someone else. It won't work.", Aigis clarified, looking really worried now, while she continued in a hushed voice. "Please... you have to stop it. Behind that gate... there's not only Nyx waiting behind it."

"... Hmm?" Mrs. Hanamura looked at her curiously. "Not only Nyx? What do you mean?"

"One of the three is sealed behind it. The moment you try to free Minato, this creature will use its chance instead since it is linked to him!", Aigis explained.

Mrs. Hanamura just stared at her for a while before she suddenly smiled triumphantly. "Oooh, nice try, Aigis! Really, that was really good! But not good enough!"

"What do you-", Aigis said, confused.

"One of the three, you say? Hah!", Mrs. Hanamura interrupted her, deridingly. "Two of them are living inside the humand world, and the third one was killed by SEES several years ago inside the Abyss of Time, liar!"

"No, I-"

"Liar!", Mrs. Hanamura repeated, shaking her head. "Really, having to resort to lying, Aigis. Are you really that much of a scaredy cat?"

"I'd rather be a scaredy cat than running blindly into my doom!", Aigis countered, agitated.

Mrs. Hanamura sighed. "But I'm not, stupid.", she calmly said and looked at Aigis with disappointment in her eyes. "Do you really think I didn't think about every possible option before starting with this plan we decided upon? You yourself just said a few moments ago that I obviously want things to end in a good way, Aigis."

"I-"

"There are several possible ways to accomplish our goal. Let me tell you about one of them.", Mrs. Hanamra interrupted her. "Our killer is capable to control the Shadows, as you have surely noticed by now. So let's just say we use the killer and let them gather as many Shadows as possible. With this many Shadows gathered we would be able to do what the old Kirijo had once envisioned: Traveling in time." Aigis looked at her in disbelief. "And I'm not talking about the time travels we did in the Abyss of Time, leading us to place and time we can't decide ourselves. Using this method, we can choose where and when to travel. We could travel to the exact point in time Kirijo decided to gather Shadows. We could simply kill and everyone else involved in the project so that the Dark Hour would never come into existence. Since they will die anyway during the experiments, nothing of value would be lost. Minato would be free forever!"

"But that-"

"That would have unknown consequences, yes.", Mrs. Hanamura interrupted her, nodding. "We would completely change history by doing so. What if the future we created would be an even darker one?" She shook her head. "No, that option is far too risky." She looked back at Aigis. "I'm not just running blindly in the darkness, as you can see. So what about you then, _scaredy cat_!"

"As I already said. Yes, I may be a coward.", Aigis said. "I'm far too scared of what you will call upon if you continue like this. I'm far too scared of what you will do to the boy."

"And now we're about to talk about Yosuke again, your favourite subject.", Mrs. Hanamura sighed, annoyed. "As I have already explained to you, this thing-"

"He's _not_ a thing!", Aigis interrupted her. "He's your son! _OUR_ son that we both raised in the beginning!"

"Hmph..." Mrs. Hanamura looked her unimpressed. "From the moment he was born into this world, his destiny had already been decided: To serve as the vessel for Minato's soul!"

"How can you...? You've lived alongside each other for many years now, as mother and son!", Aigis screamed at her.

"Yes, indeed we did.", Mrs. Hanamura agreed. "I've raised him for years, saw him grew up in that twisted way, and at the sime time waited longingly for the moment we can finally use him!"

"Liar!", Aigis snapped at her. "You really want to tell me that he... that Yosuke has been nothing but an animal you raised and nurtured until it is time to slaughter him like this?"

"Yes, that's correct.", was Mrs. Hanamura's simple reply and indifferent reply.

"That's a lie...", Aigis mumbled in disbelief and shook her head. "That's not... You're not the person anymore that I knew so well back then..."

"We all change during the years, Aigis. Nobody stays the same way they were as a teenager. Our characters all change, unlike yours, apparently.", Mrs. Hanamura explained, matter-of-factly.

"If only that change hadn't occured to you either!", Aigis heatedly shouted at her. "Do you really think Minato would be proud of you? He would look at you with disgust if you-"

But she didn't get to say anything else. The moment she had talked about Minato like that the ground had exploded underneath Aigis' feet. She was able to regain her balance just in time before she would have fallen to the ground rather painfully.

"You know _NOTHING_ about him! I'm the _ONLY ONE_!", Mrs. Hanamura yelled at her, her usual hazelnut brown eyes suddenly blazing yellow, swinging her hand violently.

"Y- What...?", Aigis started in confusion and dodged another explosion beneath her feet.

"You don't know anything!", Mrs. Hanamura continued to scream and swung her fist at her again. And this time Aigis noticed what was going on: The movement of Hanamura's hand caused a powerful gust of wind to strike the ground underneath Aigis' feet, making it explode in an instant. The Anti Shadow weapon jumped to the side again and looked at Mrs. Hanamura in worry.

"Stop! I'm not here to fight you!", she shouted at her.

"I don't care! You dare to talk about him like this, you face the consequences!", Mrs. Hanamura barked as an answer and swung her fist once again. But she suddenly stopped right in the middle, shouted in pain and sank to the ground gasping, grabbing her stomach in pain.

"Yukari!", Aigis shouted, slightly panicked, and ran over to the brunette.

"... Don't touch me!", she snarled at her and tried to get up again, only to sink back to the ground, face-first.

"Yukari...", Aigis mumbled in pity and looked from Mrs. Hanamura's - Yukari Takeba's - now yellow eyes to her stomach that she was still holding in pain. "I get it now... So that's what you did... And the pain is the punishment for that..."

Yukari looked up at her and smiled maliciously. "I already told you once: I would do anything for Minato! Even become something like this!"

Aigis sighed deeply before she asked: "... Did you know that you were pregnant?"

Yukari's eyes widened for a moment before she smiled, apparently relived. "No, I really didn't know _that_.", she replied. "But it's better like this. I really wouldn't want to be like my mother and raise a child that I wouldn't be able to lov-"

Aigis stopped her by slapping her face. "Disgusting!", the blonde shouted at her and turned away from her.

It took a while before Yukari finally managed to stand up from the ground, Aigis still having turned her back towards her.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about with me?", Yukari asked.

"... No.", Aigis answered after a short moment of silence. "I had actually wanted to tell you more." She saw a short scene in front of her inner eyes that showed her and Ryoji fighting against each other on the Moonlight Bridge, followed by an explosion that killed Minato's parents and Minato himself. "I have managed to uncover some things that I had wanted to tell you about as well..." The scene changed to Minato and the other members of SEES being hung up on those crosses at the observatory, and Aigis doing as Ikutsuki told her, killing one friend after another. "But... if you're not ready to have your eyes opened up..." It changed to Minato's room where he and Ryoji were standing at the 31st of December, Minato killing Ryoji instead of letting him live, choosing to lose all his memories. "... There is no sense in talking to you any more..." _`Master Igor hat called it "Fishing for Destiny"...´_, Aigis thought as she miserably walked back to the stairs.

"Aww, leaving so soon? I thought we were going to talk some more about good old times?", Yukari called after her in derision. "You, me and our little Yosukey! Ahaha!"

But Aigis wasn't listening to her anymore as she walked up the stairs, feeling powerless and exhausted now that her attempt at convincing her old friend had failed. _`Ebisu's "Fishing for Destiny"... The ability to change unwanted things and lead them towards the desired path... If what Master Igor has told me is really true, then we're all just marching right into the direction Ebisu wants us to, like puppets without free wil...´_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Author's notes: Kinda lost the will to write for no reason. I don't know when I will update again. Sorry.**


	115. Chapter 112: Destiny

_**Chapter 112: Destiny**_

An ear-deafening scream could be heard from the graveyard in the TV world when the first attack finally hit its target. Bagman sank to the ground in agony, rolling from one side to the other and whimpering.

"Damn... it!", he croaked out loud and angrily, Kashiwagi's cries of complete terror in the background.

Another attack hit home, releasing another silvery something with a loud scream out of Bagman's body, towards freedom. "... How?! How did you find out?!" His eyes now slits, he stared through the pain at Philemon. "YOU...!" He tried to jump up and grab the cane that he had let go of when he had fallen down, but Souji was faster, stormed forward and launched another attack that made the old Shadow fall to the ground, wheezing. "Damn... you all!", the old man screamed. One explosion followed the other, and one silver being after another escaped the old Shadow's body, the Shadow only being able to helplessly watch the arsenal he had painstakingly re-gathered diminish more and more.

His whole body shaking, he finally managed to get up another time, having to support himself on his cane with all his might, when another attack hit its target.

"... Why?", he asked Souji with a low and snarling voice, staring at the Fool with utter hatred in his eyes. "All I.." He had to stop when another attack hit home. "... All I ever wanted... was to be free... from those shackles... Why... do you insist on getting in my way, you damn brats!?" He tried to attack Souji, but was thrown to the side when Chie and Teddie both used a Bufula spell at the same time.

"None of us here know what it is you _really_ want, Bagman! But one thing's sure: It ends here!", Souji shouted at him as an answer, followed by several more explosions that threw the old Shadow from side to side.

"Hehe...", Bagman laughed while wheezing, managed to get up another time and started to slowly wobble away from then.

"Are you still trying to flee?!", Naoto yelled at him in disbelief from behind Philemon's protective barrier.

"Hehe... flee?", Bagman repeated sneeringly and suddenly knelt down in front of the ruins of his stone throne, thrown down to the ground by another attack - this time from Kou and Kanji. "I don't think so..." He looked around the ground, as if he was searching for something, and then looked from one tombestone to the other. "Mixing something like that into the ingredients is really a no-go...", he mumbled, the Investigation Team staring at him in confusion. "They're too old, after all... But.. if I add one or two more brats... it should balance itself again... right? And if not, I can still begin anew... Once they're gone, nothing can stop me..."

"What's that ol' fart talkin' about now?!", Kanji asked, puzzled, and wanted to start another attack.

"SAY GOODBYE, YOU DAMN BRATS!", Bagman suddenly screamed and rammed his cane into the ground with all his might the next moment.

It happened all far too sudden: Bright white lines started spreading out from the center of the graveyard - the destroyed throne - and quickly connected to the tombestones, a huge thrust of energy suddenly launching from the graveyard's center, swallowing everything it could reach: The graves from which could be heard loud wails... and also the Investigation Team, one by one being swallowed, looks of utter surprise and also fear on their faces...

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

When Souji opened her eyes again, she was surrounded by nothingness.

"What is...?!", she mumbled and then looked around herself. "Guys!", she shouted.

No answer.

"What..." Bagman had forced them all into the light that had started spreading out... All of them had been swallowed one by one... All of them... were dea- "No!", Souji shouted, slightly desperate now. "How-?!"

"That's what's going to happen."

The silver-haired Fool whirled around, and was able to make out a person in a black coat behind him.

"Who-?"

"You don't have to be worried, Souji Seta. For now, that is.", the figure continued. "You're still on Yakushima Island together with your friends, all of them very much alive, just like you. For now, that is."

"What-?", Souji began anew.

"You're still fast asleep in one of the rooms inside Mitsuru Kirijo's mansion.", the figure interrupter her once more. "What you have seen just now was a look into the impending future, this look granted by Ebisu."

"Ebisu?!", Souji repeated. "And who are you?!"

"My name is Yu Narukami.", the unknown figure introduced himself.

"Narukami... And what do you mean, `impending future´? What's Ebisu got to do with that?! What-?!"

"Ebisu is one of the gods who are watching over mankind's good fortune.", Narukami explained to him. "In order to achieve this, they are allowed to take small glimpses into the future. Should the balance of fortune be disturbed, it is those gods' duty to act."

"He's _one_ of the gods of good Fortune? So what are you then, another one of those gods?", Souji asked him.

Narukami had to laugh at that question. "No, no, I'm more like... well, let's just say I'm an old friend of Ebisu, come to show you what he's seen.", he said.

Souji didn't know why, but Narukami's voice had a rather strange effect on him: It was so soothing, so... familiar.

"So... the things I just saw... that Bagman's gonna kill us all... That is the future?", Souji asked him after a few moments of silence.

Narukami nodded. "The passage of time is a predetermined path that all living beings have to follow.", he finally started to explain. "Possible deviations from that predetermined path will always be corrected by the passage of time after some time. And anyway, this here is a dream. You won't be able to remember anything about what you've just seen or heard. You-"

"Then...", Souji interrupted him, starting to feel really sick to her stomach.

"Please, let me finish.", Narukami continued. "Do you know the feeling when you wake up the next morning and just feel like you've dreamed about something really strange or important, but just can't remember what that dream was about?" Souji nodded curtly. "This is the feeling that you will have after waking up from this dream. This nagging feeling won't let you go anymore. And as long as you won't just discard this feeling as meaningless, you might have a chance at escaping this dark future."

Souji stared at him, still feeling a huge panic, but slowly nodded. "But... possible deviations will eventually be corrected. You said so yourself."

Narukami sighed. "Yes, I most certainly did. Should you be able to changed the predestined path, then time itself will try everything in its power to lead you all back to the path that you were supposed to walk. To defy this power is the job of the one who called upon this change - this paradox that wasn't supposed to exist: It will be your duty, Souji Seta."

"My duty?", Souji repeated. "What exactly is going to happen if I manage to change what has already been decided upon?"

"Time's main target will become whatever caused the paradox in the first place. To force things back to the correct path, the thing that made it stray from that path will be eliminated.", Narukami explained. "The moment you defy destiny, you will be in extreme danger, just like Ebisu."

"... Ebisu changed some things that were supposed to happen as well?", Souji asked.

"Yes.", Narukami nodded, slightly miserable now. "That is also the reason why he's currently hiding. He also change certain things to help mankind. That is why I know about all of this; Ebisu told me about it."

"`Helping mankind´. Hah!", Souji laughed out.

Narukami looked at him in confusion.

"Well, I already know some other gods who were just trying to `help mankind´, and let me tell you, they were all assholes.", Souji explained, shrugging. "Would be something new to finally see a god acting to our benefit. A child of Izanami, at that."

"He is also the son of Izanagi.", Narukami reminded him, suddenly sounding very proud for some reason. "Your initial person _is_ Izanagi after all, isn't it?"

"Yap. We're quiiiite the nice family.", Souji sighed before she got serious again. "What exactly am I supposed to do after I managed to change things? Go into hiding, like Ebisu?" She shook her head. "No way. That's not my style."

"No, most definitely not.", Narukami agreed. "But one thing is certain: As long as you continue to search and reach out to the truth, I will make sure that nothing ever happens to you."

"... Narukami?", Souji asked him, slightly puzzled. "Who...?"

"I am Yu Narukami, someone who is searching for the truth.", Narukami said. "And as long as you also continue to search for it in the other world's dense and foggy forest, you - and also your friends - will be my comrades."

"Thou art I... I am thou...", the voice in Souji's head suddenly started talking. "Thou hast established a new bond... It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the World Arcana..." The World Arcana appeared before the silver-haired Fool's inner eyes for a short moment before a gentle warmth immediately starte spreading out inside his body.

"As long as you continue to walk the path of truth, I will be the pillar helping you back to your old strength.", Narukami continued while everything around them started to become blurry, Souji about to wake up.

"Narukami, who... are you really?", Souji asked him.

"Like I said, I am one who is also searching for the truth.", Narukami answered him. "The truth about why I even exist... I absolutely have to find out." His tone was getting slightly desperate. "Because... Well, you could say I'm the greatest paradox there ever was..."

"What do you mean by tha-"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"TEDDIE, YOU GODDAMN ASS!"

Souji jumped out of her bed with a start, immediately grabbing her new sword, and sleepily looked around her room. On the other bed that she had carried inside together with Kanji and Kou's help Philemon - happy about the loud noises, it seemed - was jumping up and down while Nanako was grumbling slightly in her sleep and rolled from one side to the other.

"What was-?", Souji started, confused, when she suddenly heard loud yelling coming from the other room next to their.

"Bwuahaha! Who's showing his naked ass here?! You or me, Junpei?! Hahaha!", Teddie's amsued voice could be heard, followed by Yosuke's hysterical screams about them `being absolutely gay and such´, the usual.

"STRIP POKER DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU IMMEDIATELY STRIP THE OTHER CONTESTANTS IF THEY LOSE ONCE!", Junpei shouted back at him.

Souji looked at the wall seperating their rooms in annoyance, Nanako about to wake up from all that noise.

`Big Bro Mode´ - or rather `Big Sis Mode´ if one looked at the physical state the silver-haired Fool was currently in - was immediately activated in Souji's brain. Mere seconds later she was inside the three men's room, had whacked each of them upside the head and was back at the door, barking a sharp "Be quiet!" at them.

"Ooooh, Sensei! Do you also wanna play Strip Po-", Teddie began hopefully, rubbing his now throbbing head, but immediately stopped when he saw the Fool's deathglare that was putting Naoto's deathglare to shame. "Um... Good night, Sensei."

Souji merely nodded, grumbling, and wandered back towards the room she was sharing with Nanako in order to watch over her at night, and threw herself back onto her bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Hmm...", she hummed, scratched her cheek and shruged. "That really was a strange dream... But... What was it about again?" She thought about it for a short while before she rolled to the side and fell asleep again, the contents of that dream unfortunately already forgotten again.

None of the current guests inside the mansion noticed Hiro who was wobbling unsteadily through the corridors, from Souji's room towards his own.

"Was that... enough, Ebisu?", he groaned, supporting his weight against the wall. "I just don't know... how this is supposed to help... The new paths I can now see... will also end in tragedies..."

He managed to get inside his room, crashed onto the pillows of his bed head-first and then stayed there completely motionless, before he suddenly leapt up, breathing erratically like someone who was about to drown. With shaking hands he rummaged around his nightstand before he found a little jar full of pills, swallowing many of them down as quickly as possible.

_`What the hell happened?!´_, he wondered while throwing the jar back into the nightstand. _`I remember falling asleep here... and then? You usually don't feel like you've just ran thousands of kilometres after sleeping...´_ "Narukami, was that you?! Of course it was you!", he grumbled and looked around the room quickly before he lay down again, not finding any sleep at all this night.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A loud scream echoed through Saki's underground dungeon in the TV world, followed by vomit-inducing slupring noises while someone whimpered in pain.

Then there was absolute silence for a moment.

"I'm done, mother."

Adachi - his Shadow still in control - stood up from the dungeon's ground and luxuriously wiped his mouth. He slowly looked down on his body, and a satisfied grin began spreading on his face. He looked up, as if listening to something only he could hear, then nodded. "Yes, mother.", he mumbled to someone, even though there was nobody inside the room but him. "Soon..." He vanished into the ground the next moment.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

During the two weeks that Souji and her friends had already been staying at Yakushima the island had turned into some kind of defensive wall, even though the other visitors probably hadn't noticed anything at all. Patty, now able to summon a Persona outside of the TV world, was constantly scanning the whole island with her Persona that was a sensory type like Rise and Fuuka's, while Fuuka was using her newly acquired alchemy skills to control the plants and keep possible unwanted intruders out. The Informatics Professor's skills had improved immensely during the two weeks due to her training.

Souji was sitting that day underneath a parasol, reading the daily news and trying to ignore possible flirting males that tried to speak to her, even though she would have rather preferred to kick those guys in the balls. She still refused to wear a women's swimsuit - much to Teddie's dismay who was currently scattered around the beach with the other males - and was instead wearing short shorts and a shirt, trying to live through the brutal heat. Sure, the lunch that first idiot who had made a pass on her had tasted really, really good. But when he had then demanded some action from her in return, she had just beat the crap out of him and made a tactical retreat. And right now her stomach was rather full, thank you very much. So no need for some horny idiots right now.

_`Even though I definitely need someone to apply some sun lotion on my neck.´_, she thought and shortly let her gaze wander over the hungry looking crowd. _`Nope, better not give them any ideas... Need someone else. Someone who wouldn't get any ideas because he knows I'm a guy. Someone homophobic...´_ She let her gaze wander over the beach, but when she didn't find her intended victim, she turne back to the newspapers in defeat, her eyes landing on an article about Inaba's prison.

"Still no news about Kubo's whereabouts...", she mumbled and sighed. That institute had long since become the press' favourite topic since the prison had been nearly completely burned down the night they had saved Nanako, and on top of that Adachi, Namatame and the prison's director himself had been found dead. Added to that came also the fact that Mitsuo Kubo, another inmate, was nowhere to be found. The fact that all three main characters regarding the murder case some years ago had been involved in this had caused some some huge conspiracy theories. Of course, nobody really cared that dozens of children had been murdered each day during those two weeks, it only being mentioned in small articles after the newest huge news about Inaba's prison, if at all. "Damned Bagman...", the silver-haired grumbled when she thought about all those innocent children that were probably the victims of that old Shadow. _`What exactly is he planning now?´_ she wondered, folded the newspapers and put them away, ignored her love-struck stalkers and walked, slightly tired from the hot weather, over to the other guys of the Investigation Team who had now all gathered in a circle all of a sudden, all of them in some heated discussion, Teddie and Hiro happily building a sandcastle in the middle of them. _`And uncle Dojima is still unreachable, as Naoto's just told us on the phone yesterday...´_ She sighed again and came to a halt directly behind the other, curious as to what they suddenly were so interested in. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

They all jumped up in horror, and the discussion they had been having immediately stopped right there.

"H-hey, Senpai...", Kanji only managed to get out, his head beet-red, for some reason unable to look her in the eye and rather focussing on a spot right next to her.

Souji tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Booooooooooooooooobs!", Teddie suddenly cheered excitedly before Yosuke quickly whacked his head, cheeks also red.

"Oh...", Souji only said to that, her right eye starting to twith a bit. Yes, it was rather easy now to guess what they had been talking about until she had joined the conversation.

"So, err...", Ken began, embarrassed. "P-pretty hot day today, i-isn't it?"

"Yes, veeeeery hot!", Teddie giggled with a voice that let no room for doubt that he wasn't talking about the weather.

"W-we were just-", Junpei started slowly.

"Talking about what clothes suit Sensei best!", Teddie interrupted him happily.

"Idiot", Yosuke shouted at him and whacked him once more before he looked at Souji rather nervously. "I absolutely did not! I didn't talk about what would look sexy on you at all! That'd be so -"

"Gay?", Souji finished for him, one eyebrow raised, to which Yosuke nodded hectically. The silver-haired Fool let his questioning gaze wander toward Teddie.

"Yosuke prefers a nurse outfit best!", the blonde Shadow sang.

"You little-"

"His usual fetish.", Souji said, nodding.

"WHAT?!"

"The others?", Souji asked and looked at the others.

"I'd rather you wear nothing!", Teddie announced.

Souji rolled her eyes.

"Y-you're all so perverted.", Ken only said and turned away from the group.

"Oooh, but we're not alne with that!", Junpei said with a teasing grin to him which made Ken look at him in horror. "Who was it again that wanted to be some kind of boytoy and get himself an older partner?"

"Th-that's not how I meant it!", Ken snarled in anger, face instantly red again. "I-I only meant that I rather like older women because they're more experienced and-" He stopped when he realised what he had just said. "No, I didn't mean it like that!", he screamed in panic, the others nearly on the floor with laughter. "Not experienced in _that_ way! I only meant their experience in life and... and, err... Yeah, I also quite like that fact that I won't die before them, and so the women never'll have to suffer because she'd feel lonely without me and-"

"Jailbait...", Hiro only chuckled.

Ken opened his mouth to protest once more a few times, but then just sighed and let it go before he embarrassed himself even more.

There was some more embarrassed silence in which Souji looked at the others, waiting for them to comment on their choice of clothes, before Hiro proudly announced that he'd prefer SM stuff on Souji, resulting in everyone deciding that they would rather let the topic go before he and Teddie got some stupid ideas in their heads again.

"Man...", Yosuke grumbled while he, Souji, Junpei and Ken walked back to the parasols they had all brought with them. "That was the last time I tell you some of my secrets, Partner! N-not that I have a fetish for nurses or anything..."

"Yeah yeah, I get it.", Souji only said, took out the sun lotion when they had reached the parasols and pushed it into Yosuke's hands. "Apply some of it to my neck and I'll ask Rise if I can borrow her nurse outfit."

"ARE YOU ACTUALLY TRYING TO COMPLETELY EMBARRASS ME!?", Yosuke screamed at him hysterically.

"Yup."

"Fuck you!", Yosuke shouted and ran towards the water to cool down. "And that was _not_ and invitation!", he added.

"... It's not nice to play with a man's tender feelings...", Ken grumbled from the side.

"Aww, still feeling miffed?", Junpei chuckled.

"W-we have feelings, too!", Ken continued, stuttering, face still red.

"I know. I _am_ a guy, after all.", Souji replied, shrugging, and then took a short glance at his breats. "Well, on the inside, at least."

"Nuh-uh! No way in hell!", they could suddenly hear Kanji yelling, also walking towards the parasols now, Teddie right behind him.

"Oh, coooome oooon! Pretty please, Kanji?", Teddie whined. "Junpei told me about how beary nice it was, and I think we should all try it as well! `Opera-"

"I said no!", Kanji interrupted him, anoyed.

"If you won't help me convince the others, I'll tell Sensei that you like his current outfit best, and then-", Teddie started to blabber, but stopped when he noticed that Souji could hear them from where they were arguing. "Ooops! Tee hee!"

"Dude!", Kanji growled and looked at Souji in embarrassment who looked right back at him in amusement.

"I get it. Women in men's clothes. The Naoto Look!", Souji said, nodding.

"N-no, I-", Kanji started hectically.

"So what did Junpei tell you about?", Souji asked and looked from the blond Shadow to Junpei.

"No, don't even think about lettin' him-", Kanji tried to intercept.

"`Operation Babe Hunt´!", Teddie chirped happily. "Hitting on as many girls as possible!"

"I already told ya, we're not-", Kanji tried once more.

"Sounds good.", Souji immediately agreed with Teddie.

"WHAT?!", Kanji screeched, a perfect imitation of Yosuke's usual screeching attack.

"Okay, gather the others, Teddie!", Souji ordered him, putting on the glasses and already in Leader Mode.

"Will do!", Teddie agreed happily, saluted, and then ran back towards the others.

"S-senpai...", Kanji carefully tried to talk to him.

"I'm absolutely tired of being treated like a woman.", Souji only sead and tightened the bindings that Naoto had lent her around her breasts. "I need to give in to my testoron and let off a bit of steam!"

"B-but-"

"Oi, Souji!", Yosuke snapped, gathering around together with the ohers, Teddie and Hiro already jumping around the place in anticipation. "What the hell're you planning no-"

"Not man enough to do it? I guess you would rather continue to stare at my body?", Souji challenged him.

"... I'm in.", Yosuke grumbled in defeat.

"Well, I sure as hell am not! I got Naoto!", Kanji butted in.

"Aww, poor Nao-chan~.", Teddie whimpered.

"... Huh?"

"She will forever be stuck with a loser who doesn't even know how to flirt with her and curt her!", the blond Shadow sniffed theatrically.

Kanji only stared at him for moment with an open mouth, before he suddenly screamed loud like a warrior marching towards a battle and ran over towards some women to hit on them, before `Operation Babe Hunt´ had even started.

Ken tried to back out of it as wel in the meantime.

"Oh, come on now! Just luck at those fine chicas over there!", Junpei said, huge grin on his face, and forced the younger man to look over to some older women sitting not far away from them. "Just your type! Go get 'em, tiger!"

"Th-they're not!", Ken protested and hurriedly looked to the side, still managing to sneak some interested peaks at those women bathing in the sunlight.

"Okay, everybody in?", Souji asked.

Kou tried to sneak away, thinking about Chie.

"Okay, then let's go!", Souji yelled, grabbed a loudly protesting Kou and stormed over the beach together with the other. "Commence `Operation Babe Hunt´!"


End file.
